News Release

Date Posted

Covered California Joins State Treasurer and Leaders of Asian-American Communities to Promote Enrollment by Feb. 15

Enrollment Efforts Include New Asian-Language Web Pages and Ads and Translated Materials to Help Enrollment and Reassure Consumers that Their Immigration Information Is Safe, Secure and Confidential

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Today, Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee and Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles (Advancing Justice — LA) held a joint press conference to encourage members of the Asian-American, native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities to enroll for health coverage before the second open-enrollment deadline of Feb. 15. They were joined by State Treasurer John Chiang and other Asian-American community leaders to address numerous issues that affect AANHPI enrollment, including highlighting newly translated materials and resources available for AANHPI communities and reminding those who have family members who may be undocumented that they can apply for coverage without fear that their immigration information will be used against them.
“We are joining forces today with leaders of Asian-American communities to make sure that we leave no one behind who is eligible for coverage and drive home the message that all information you submit is used strictly to determine your eligibility for health insurance programs available under the Affordable Care Act,” Lee said. “We want everyone who can benefit from coverage to get help without fear that immigration information about family members will be used against them.”

“There is no community in California that cannot benefit from better health service or lower costs for care,” Treasurer Chiang said. “I do not want anyone of any background to miss out on this important opportunity.”

“With a little over a month left to enroll for health coverage under Covered California, we want to encourage everyone who might be eligible to apply and enroll for health coverage by Feb. 15. Having health coverage will not only provide health care when necessary, so you no longer need to worry if your loved ones get sick, but also will help you avoid paying any penalties because most people are now required to have health insurance. We also want to remind our community members that they should not be afraid to apply, because their immigration status is strictly confidential and will not be shared with any other government agency, state or federal,” said Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Los Angeles.

“Finally, our collaborative has created valuable translated materials that we would like to share with our community members. We will continue to work with the Asian-American, native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to ensure that they are aware of their right to health care coverage.”

Also Monday, Covered California announced it has added four new Asian-language pages to its website, www.CoveredCA.com. The new pages are in:



Covered California announced the availability in these Web pages of immigration fact sheets for California in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese. These fact sheets were developed with leading immigration rights organizations, including Advancing Justice —LA and the National Immigration Law Center. Plans are in the works to produce fact sheets in Tagalog as well. “Trusted voices matter,” said Lee. “These fact sheets address head on what has been a concern in some communities, with messages from trusted organizations known in their community.”

Advancing Justice — LA and its statewide Health Justice Network (HJN) and national Action for Health Justice partners have also developed other in-language materials, including translating a Covered California informational brochure into 13 additional AANHPI languages and creating a glossary of 100 frequently used terms related to health insurance enrollment, in 12 languages. Advancing Justice — LA’s HJN brings together more than 60 organizations statewide that are specifically focusing efforts in AANHPI communities.

Lee encouraged AANHPI communities to use the new Web pages to search for Certified Insurance Agents or Certified Enrollment Counselors who can assist them in their own native language, as well as finding enrollment events and storefronts that can help Asian-language-speaking consumers.

Covered California also highlighted its Asian-language ads airing on television and online, as well as on Asian-language radio, print, billboard and other advertising platforms. Among the ads now airing is an informational ad produced in Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean and Taglish. The ads can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/coveredcalifornia.

Consumers have until Jan. 15 to enroll in Covered California for coverage beginning Feb. 1. Open enrollment ends on Feb. 15.

Links to fact sheets are provided below:

California fact sheets:



Fact sheets for other states:



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.