SAN JOSE, Calif.(June 7, 2013) – Today, President Barack
Obama commended California for leading the way on health care reform by
recognizing an innovative partnership between The California Endowment, Covered
California, and Latino news giants Univision, Telemundo, and impreMedia. The
partnership is the first of its kind in working collectively to educate Latinos
about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and drive them to enroll
in health insurance.
The partners—from philanthropy, government
and media—recognized the opportunity to join forces and target the largest
uninsured group in California—Latinos. Latinos comprise only 38 percent of
California’s overall population, yet they make up more than 61 percent of the
state’s uninsured population. More than half of uninsured Latinos speak Spanish
at home. Together, the partners will reach nearly all of the state’s 15 million
Latinos.
“The dynamic forces involved in this partnership are
unparalleled,” said Monica Lozano, CEO of impreMedia. “By strategically
designing the campaign to reach Latinos, we knew that this would be a
comprehensive public service effort, combining the knowledge base and practical
expertise of the public entities and our trusted voices and reach in
television, print, radio, and online.”
“Working with Latino media partners over the last two years
has helped us move the needle tremendously in educating Latinos and others
about the Affordable Care Act,” said Robert K. Ross, M.D., President and CEO of
The California Endowment. “However, we now need that same group to activate and
enroll so that they can experience the benefits of the health law firsthand.
Thanks to the engagement of Monica Lozano and other media leaders, we’ll
achieve that.”
“Covered California recognizes that a significant component
of its success rests on partnerships that reach Latino communities with a
motivating message to enroll in Covered California health plans. The
partnership with The California Endowment and Spanish language media is a
perfect fit,” said Peter V. Lee, Executive Director of Covered California.
The partnership will utilize a multimedia approach that
engages Latinos through print, television, radio, and the web, especially
social media. The effort is an integral part of a multi-year outreach and
enrollment campaign known as Asegúrate, or “Get Covered”, which utilizes tested
messages and trusted news figures to deliver key information.
“As an important newssource for the U.S. Latino community,
Univision News is proud to partner with Covered California and The California
Endowment to provide our audiences with the facts and tools they need to gain a
better understanding of the new healthcare law before some of its most
important provisions come into effect,”said Isaac Lee, President of Univision
News. “This multifaceted campaign is one more instance of Univision’s unwavering
commitment to informing and empowering U.S. Latinos.”
“Serving the Latino population is and continues to be the
top priority for the Telemundo Stations. With over 4.5 million uninsured
Latinos in California, educating our viewers on new access to health care
options is a key component of our mission,” said Manuel Abud, President of the
Telemundo Station Group. “We want our viewers to not only understand the law,
but be able to actively make the best healthcare choice for their families,
taking full advantage of accessible benefits that will ultimately improve their
quality of life.”
Starting in the fall, Covered California will begin early
enrollment through its online marketplace and will allow Californians to
compare and select health insurance that best fits their needs, as well as
determine if they are eligible for financial assistance to make coverage more
affordable. Pending Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s action, this partnership
will also work to enroll Medi-Cal beneficiaries who fall under the expansion.
For additional information, please read our Fact Sheet in
English or Spanish.
Or, visit www.asegurate.com.
Interviews are available upon request. Please contact:
Hilda Martinez:(916) 612-3754
hmartinez@mercuryllc.com
Dana Howard:(916) 205-8403
Dana.howard@covered.ca.gov
About The California Endowment
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health
foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality
health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote
fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians.
Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in
Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working
throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that
medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people's
health. Through its ‘Health Happens Here’ campaign and ten-year initiative for Building
Healthy Communities, The Endowment is creating places where children are
healthy, safe and ready to learn. At its core, The Endowment believes that
health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. For more
information, visit The California Endowment’s homepage at www.calendow.org.
About Covered California
California was the first state to create a health benefit
exchange following the passage of the federal health care law. Covered
California is charged with creating a new insurance marketplace in which
individuals and small businesses can get access to health insurance. With
coverage starting in 2014, Covered California will help individuals compare and
choose a health plan that works best for their health needs and budget.
Financial help will be available from the federal government to help lower
costs for people who qualify on a sliding scale. Small businesses will be able
to purchase competitively priced health 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 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 Legislature. For more information
on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
About Telemundo Station Group
Telemundo Station Group, part of Telemundo Media, oversees
14 owned television stations in the U.S., as well as independent
Spanish-language television station WKAQ in Puerto Rico, and offers support to
50 affiliates across the country. In addition, Telemundo Station Group manages
10 dedicated local websites and applications, and a digital out-of-home operation
that reaches consumers in 17 Hispanic markets. Producing and broadcasting more
than 5,000 hours of unique and relevant local content each year, including
award-winning news, public affairs and entertainment programs, Telemundo
Station Group serves Hispanic viewers in the metropolitan areas of Los Angeles,
New York, Miami, Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Chicago, Bay Area, San Antonio,
Phoenix, Fresno, Denver, Las Vegas, Boston, Tucson, and Puerto Rico. Telemundo
Media, a division of NBC Universal, is a world-class media company, leading the
industry in the production and distribution of high-quality Spanish language
content across its multiplatform portfolio to U.S. Hispanics and audiences
around the world.
About impreMedia
impreMedia is the leading Hispanic news and Information
Company in the U.S. in online and print. impreMedia's multi-platform offerings
range from online to video, social media, mobile, audio, newspapers and
magazines, including IMPOWER, it´s Digital Publisher Group. 25.5% of U.S.
Hispanic adults use an impreMedia networkproduct. The network is also the
nation's largest Hispanic newspaper publisher with newspapers in top U.S. Hispanic
markets, reaching 15markets total that represent 59% of the U.S. Hispanic
population. Its leading publications include La Opinión in Los Angeles and El
Diario La Prensa in New York. For more information, visit:
http://www.impreMedia.com.
About Univision News
Univision’s award-winning News division is committed to
informing the country’s fastest growing segment across all media platforms,
including TV, Radio, and Interactive. Hispanics count on the latest and most
relevant content that impacts the community through: “Noticiero Univision,” the
Network’s evening, late evening and weekend national newscast; Sunday public
affairs program “Al Punto” (To The Point); newsmagazine shows “Aquí y Ahora”
(Here and Now) and “Primer Impacto” (First Impact); as well as morning news
segments on “Despierta América” (Wake Up America). In the last year, Univision
has strengthened its news team and expanded its news operations by adding
Investigative and Documentary Units.
