SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California™ and the California
Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today that from Oct. 1 to Nov.
30, as a benefit of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an
estimated 20,873 individuals* in the Inland Empire started applications for
Covered California health insurance plans.
Cumulatively, 9,882 individuals in the counties of San
Bernardino and Riverside have enrolled in subsidized or non-subsidized Covered
California health insurance plans, which reflects about 9 percent of the
statewide enrollment (the two counties make up 13 percent of those eligible for
subsidies statewide). The Inland Empire encompasses Covered California pricing
region 17.
“The Inland Empire is critically important to our success,”
Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “While it is good news
that so many who live in these counties have signed up, Californians all have
one more week — until Dec. 23 — to enroll for coverage taking effect Jan. 1.”
Last week Covered California and DHCS released statewide
figures showing that applications were started for an estimated 777,000
individuals between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30.
For the two-month period statewide, 109,296 individuals
enrolled in Covered California health insurance plans. For the same period,
179,000 were determined to be likely eligible for Medi-Cal.
Other facts about Inland Empire enrollment figures:
- Approximately 97 percent of consumers chose one of the four health insurance carriers that have traditionally been the largest in the individual market: Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Kaiser Permanente and Health Net.
- For the individuals who were eligible for subsidies, the great majority (69 percent) selected the “Silver” level of benefits, which is the level at which the federal premium assistance is targeted. Those who are not eligible for subsidies were more likely to buy across the spectrum of levels of coverage.
Dec. 23 is the deadline for consumers to enroll for health
insurance coverage taking effect Jan. 1, 2014, but Lee pointed out that consumers
can continue enrolling in Covered California plans through March 31, 2014.
Medi-Cal enrollment is continuous throughout the year.
Lee also reminded consumers of the many paths they can take
to enroll in Covered California health insurance plans and in Medi-Cal,
including meeting in person with thousands of trained Certified Insurance
Agents, Certified Enrollment Counselors and county eligibility workers, who can
provide assistance with completing applications. Consumers can find the nearest
in-person help on CoveredCA.com. Additionally, self-enrollment is available online,
and enrollment can be completed over the phone by calling Covered California’s Service
Center at (800) 300-1506.
* The estimated total of individuals is based on an average of 1.8
individuals per application.
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. 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.
About the Department of Health Care Services
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) works to
preserve and improve the physical and mental health of all Californians. DHCS
provides health care services for more than 8.5 million Californians through
Medi-Cal, including medical, dental, mental health, substance use treatment
services and long-term services and supports. This is accomplished through an
investment of approximately $70 billion annually in public funds for the care
of low-income families, children, pregnant women, seniors and persons with
disabilities. DHCS focuses on delivering quality, effective services primarily
through the more coordinated systems of care provided by 21 Medi-Cal managed
care plans located in all of California’s 58 counties. For more information
about DHCS, please visit www.dhcs.ca.gov.
