California Continues Remarkable Pace, Enrolling Nearly 500,000 Californians
Sacramento, Calif. —
Covered California™ Executive
Director Peter V. Lee released the following statement in response to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement today that nearly 2.2
million Americans — including nearly 500,000 Californians — have signed up for
health care during the first three months of open enrollment.
“It’s clear by the
response that Californians and Americans throughout this nation were more than
ready for the affordable and quality health insurance offered through the
Affordable Care Act,” said Lee. “With nearly half a million Californians
enrolling in a plan over three months, we continue to see high interest from
consumers. But we’re not done. Open enrollment continues through March, and
Covered California is here to help consumers enroll in the coverage they
deserve.”
Covered California
expects to release more specific enrollment data later this month, including enrollments
by region, age, ethnicity and language.
It’s not too late
to enroll. Covered California urges Californians to visit www.CoveredCA.com today and enroll in health coverage. The
deadline is Wednesday to enroll in coverage that starts Feb. 1. The last day to
enroll for coverage for this year is March 31, 2014.
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.
