Grants Will Go to Community-Based Organizations and Clinics
in the Inland Empire Region to Enroll and Renew Consumers, Educate Them on the Value of Having Health Coverage
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California announced it is
expanding the gateways in Inland Empire communities where consumers can get
help with enrolling in and maintaining health coverage.
“We know it is important for consumers in the Inland Empire
to get confidential, one-on-one help from trusted sources in their communities.
Partnerships with community-based organizations are instrumental in helping
Californians get the support they need when selecting and enrolling in a health
insurance plan,” Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said.
For the upcoming third open enrollment, Covered California
announced that it intends to award more than $10 million in grants statewide to
Navigators — community-based organizations that provide consumers in-person
enrollment assistance, renewal assistance, ongoing support and education on how
to get the best value from their health plan.
“This is as close as it gets to having enrollment
assistance at your doorstep,” Lee said. “We continue building partnerships
across the state by providing new grants to community groups to engage people
directly and help them get the coverage and assistance they need.”
The following entities in the Inland Empire area are among
those that have been selected to receive grant awards under the 2015-2016
Navigator Program:
- The Inland Wellness Information Network is a nonprofit public benefit organization dedicated to contributing to the quality of life in the Inland Empire. Through its partnerships with the Community Clinic Association of San Bernardino County and Kids Come First, the organization is able to provide multilingual enrollment assistance to individuals in a highly underserved area.
- The Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce has extensive reach with local community-based organizations to provide enrollment assistance to African-American, Latino and Middle Eastern populations in Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Through its experienced Certified Enrollment Counselors, established storefronts and partnerships with community-based organizations, it is able to provide enrollment support services in Southern California.
- Unidos Por La Música is an organization that focuses on reducing language, literacy and health care access barriers. Its experienced bilingual staff and Certified Enrollment Counselors are knowledgeable of community demographics and help educate underserved communities about the importance of having health care coverage.
Statewide, selected organizations under the 2015-2016
Navigator Program will receive grants between $50,000 and $500,000. A full list
of grantees and amounts Covered California intends to award is available online
at http://hbex.coveredca.com/navigator-program/PDFs/2015-16-Intent-to-Award-List.pdf.
Within the Inland Empire region, approximately 183,000
consumers are eligible for subsidies to help them pay for coverage.
During open enrollment for 2016, nearly 30,000 Certified
Insurance Agents, Certified Enrollment Counselors and other representatives
across California will be available to help consumers apply for health
coverage.
Enrolling in person is important to many consumers, and Certified
Enrollment Counselors in the Navigator Program play a critical role by
providing one-on-one assistance to consumers who need it. During the last open-enrollment
period, approximately 70 percent of eligible consumers enrolled or renewed with
assistance from Certified Insurance Agents or Certified Enrollment Counselors,
including Navigators, or received help by phone from Service Center
representatives.
The Navigator Program is a mandatory requirement of the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act and is funded from revenue generated by
Covered California. Organizations were selected through a competitive grant
application process.
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.
