United Farm Workers Founder Dolores Huerta Partners With Covered California To Promote Latino Enrollment

Huerta, a close ally of Cesar Chavez, is featured in radio spots and on videos available on YouTube, in English and Spanish, calling on Latinos to sign up for insurance. In the segments, Huerta reminds her audience that access to health care is a cornerstone of the decades-long struggle for Latino-American equality and that Latinos’ participation will drive the success of the new marketplace.

“If Cesar (Chavez) were here today, he would say to everyone who needs to get enrolled, especially our young people, ‘We have to be responsible citizens, and we have to understand, if we do not do our part, we can’t help our community,’” Huerta says in the video. “We’re talking about millions of Latinos that do not have health insurance. You are a very important part of this. Lots of sacrifices have been made, and all we have to do is just sign up.”

California will mark the gains of the United Farm Workers on Cesar Chavez Day, March 31, also the final day of open enrollment for Covered California plans. In honor of Chavez, Huerta will take an active role in a series of events throughout the remainder of March, called “Days of Action.”

“Dolores Huerta is respected nationwide for her human rights work but holds a special place of honor for Californians, and we believe targeted messages from her to the Latino community will encourage people to sign up,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “She is particularly well-known among Latino women in our state, who are often the driving force in households for taking care of their families’ health.”

Lee and Huerta appeared together at a press conference in Los Angeles today to unveil the radio and video segments. Huerta will be a featured supporter of Covered California activities throughout March to promote enrollment.

To view the videos, visit http://daysofaction.CoveredCA.com/p/youtube-videos.html.

Huerta has established a reputation of fighting for social and economic justice since she and Chavez formed the farm workers’ union in 1962. She is known for a fierce determination to better the lives of workers, immigrants and women. She has received many awards, including the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Huerta now operates the Dolores Huerta Foundation, which continues to work toward creating social change to improve people’s lives.

Covered California is the state’s marketplace for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. With coverage starting in 2014, Covered California helps individuals determine whether they are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits.

Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.