Covered California Wins Creative Award for Second Consecutive Year for Reaching Out to Underserved Spanish-Speaking Audience

• The “Soccer” Spanish radio spot was developed to promote special enrollment for those who lost or may be losing their health insurance.
• Click here to listen to the award-winning spot, which has been heard 3.4 million times ahead of the World Cup.
• Loss of health insurance during the year is the number one reason people sign up for coverage during Covered California’s special-enrollment period.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the second year in a row, the Radio Mercury Awards honored Covered California for its creative marketing, this time for an ad titled “Soccer.” The Spanish-language radio spot was developed to air prior to the 2018 FIFA World Cup to inform consumers that they are eligible to sign up for health care coverage during Covered California’s special-enrollment period if they have lost, or will be losing, their health insurance.

In a format that resembles the narration of a soccer game, the spot features a commentator repeating the phrase “¡Perdiste tu seguro!” (“You lost your insurance!”). The spot ends by saying, “Es difícil pensar en otra cosa cuando pierdes tu seguro médico. Por eso Covered California te da la oportunidad de solicitar un nuevo plan de salud si perdiste tu cobertura.” (“It’s hard to think of anything else when you lose your health insurance. That’s why Covered California gives you the opportunity to apply for a new health plan if you lost your coverage.”)

Traditionally, the World Cup has a large audience with Latinos. The campaign started in March and is ongoing, airing on Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Univision, Entravision and other digital platforms, as well as prominent Spanish-language radio stations in Los Angeles and the Riverside-San Bernardino area. Covered California estimates the ad has been listened to 3.4 million times.

“This ad is part of our ongoing efforts to promote special enrollment for specific communities throughout the state in ways that carry messages tailored to them in the language they feel comfortable speaking. We want to offer them content that is culturally relevant: in this case, our Spanish-language message anchored in the World Cup,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “We’re proud of getting this award, but even prouder of the fact that this ad has been heard more than 3 million times to reinforce the fact that we’re there for consumers year round.”

To hear the “Soccer” spot, visit the Radio Mercury Awards page at http://radiomercuryawards.com/2018Winners.cfm.

The ad was produced by Casanova-McCann, a marketing subcontractor engaged by Covered California to work in partnership with prime contractor Campbell Ewald to reach broad audiences in California, including Spanish-speaking Latinos.

The Radio Mercury Awards were established in 1992 as “the only competition exclusively devoted to radio… to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative radio commercials.” The competition draws entries from advertising agencies, production houses, radio stations and educational institutions across the country.

Californians may enroll during Covered California’s special-enrollment period if they have a qualifying life event, like losing their coverage. The loss of health insurance is the number one reason people sign up for coverage outside of the traditional open-enrollment period.

Special enrollment for health insurance through Covered California continues until the fall, when open enrollment begins. At that time, individuals can get financial help to buy health insurance without a qualifying condition.

For more information on special-enrollment rules, visit http://www.CoveredCA.com/individuals-and-families/getting-covered/special-enrollment. Applicants have 60 days from the date on which the qualifying life event happens to enroll in a plan through Covered California.

Those who qualify for Medi-Cal may enroll through Covered California year round. Eligible consumers who are interested in signing up should go to www.CoveredCA.com where they can get help to enroll. They can explore their options and find out if they qualify for financial help by using the Shop and Compare Tool. They can also get free and confidential enrollment assistance by visiting www.coveredca.com/find-help/ and searching among 800 storefronts statewide, or more than 17,000 certified enrollers who can assist consumers in understanding their choices and enrolling, including individuals who can assist in other languages. In addition, consumers can reach the Covered California service center by calling (800) 300-1506.

About Covered California
Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find affordable, high-quality insurance from top insurance companies. Covered California is the only place where individuals who qualify can get financial assistance on a sliding scale to reduce premium costs. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Depending on their income, some consumers may qualify for the low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal program.

Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the health insurance marketplace 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.