More Than 238,000 People Signed Up for Health Coverage In First Two Months of Open Enrollment; More Than 500 Enrollment Events Are Planned for Final Month
Dental Enrollment Is Strong — More Than 120,000 New and
Renewing Covered California Members Have Signed Up for Dental Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With less than one month remaining in
this year’s open-enrollment period, Covered California announced Thursday that
more than 238,000 new consumers had enrolled in health care coverage by the end
of Jan. 2. Covered California also announced that more than 124,000 new and
renewing consumers had enrolled in the new optional family dental coverage.
“Throughout the state, we’re seeing Californians signing up
for health care in storefronts, health clinics and insurance agent offices,”
said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “The deadline is
coming up, so anyone who does not have health insurance should visit
CoveredCA.com and find out where they can get help enrolling before the
deadline.”
During this final
month of open enrollment, more than 500 events are scheduled to help consumers
get enrolled in health insurance through Covered California.
“The fact that so
many enrollment events are scheduled at libraries, health centers, malls and
churches is a testament to the fact that the Affordable Care Act is becoming
part of the fabric of local communities across the state,” Lee said.
Enrollment events in January include:
- More than 110 enrollment events scheduled at libraries across the state, including Oceanside Public Library, Paradise Library, Moreno Valley Public Library and Ceres Public Library.
- More than 160 enrollment events planned in Los Angeles County.
- More than 60 enrollment events scheduled at community health clinics, medical centers or hospitals, including Asian Health Services in Oakland, Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center in Hayward, Placentia-Linda Hospital in Placentia and Herald Christian Health Center in San Gabriel.
- More than 50 events scheduled at community and resource centers, including Chavez Resource Center in Oceanside, Community Health Centers Casa Street in San Luis Obispo and South Orange County Family Resource Center in Lake Forest.
- Events at locations such as the Asian Pacific Lunar Festival in Riverside; the Walnut Creek Farmers’ Market; the East Hills Mall in Bakersfield; the campus of California State University, San Marcos; the Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Los Angeles; and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland.
There are already 66 enrollment events scheduled throughout
the state on the last weekend of open enrollment, Jan. 30-31, and others will
be added to the calendar in the coming days and weeks.
Most events feature individuals who can assist consumers in
more than one language, with three-quarters of the events offering Spanish-language
assistance. Other events offer help in Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese,
Russian, Armenian, Hmong, Farsi, Tagalog and Arabic.
“We’ve seen an incredible demand for the affordable coverage
that Covered California is bringing within the reach of so many consumers,” Lee
said.
This year, Covered California made it possible for
consumers to purchase optional dental coverage for 2016 as an “add-on” to the
health coverage they purchase through the exchange. Pediatric dental benefits
for members under 19 years of age continue to be included with health coverage.
Covered California estimates that there are currently about
750,000 uninsured Californians eligible for subsidies, and it has forecasted
that between 295,000 and 450,000 new consumers will enroll in coverage during
open enrollment. An additional 1.4 million people statewide are believed to
qualify for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal.
Consumers should know there are multiple ways to enroll,
including enrolling online at www.CoveredCA.com, calling (800)
300-1506 to enroll over the phone or finding in-person help in their
communities. Enrollment locations can be found by visiting www.CoveredCA.com/get-help/local
and searching for enrollment help by ZIP code.
In addition, hundreds of locations with Covered California
signage mark storefronts where consumers can enroll confidentially and at no
cost. The deadline to enroll for coverage starting Feb. 1 is Jan. 15, and the
last day of open enrollment is Jan. 31.
About Covered California
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. 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 about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.