Grants Will Go to Community-Based Organizations and Clinics
in the San Diego County 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 San Diego County communities where consumers can get
help with enrolling in and maintaining health coverage.
“We know it is important for consumers in San Diego County
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 about 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 San Diego area are among
those that have been selected to receive grant awards under the 2015-2016
Navigator Program:
- The Council of Community Clinics and its subsidiaries represent and support community clinics and health centers in their efforts to provide access to quality health care and related services, with an emphasis on serving low-income and uninsured populations. The Council of Community Clinics has a history of successfully providing quality health services and is partnering with other organizations to ensure experienced Certified Enrollment Counselors can provide valuable enrollment assistance in many locations throughout the San Diego region.
- North County Health Services is a private, nonprofit, federally qualified health center and has been serving the large northern region of San Diego through its 11 licensed clinics and two mobile clinics for nearly 40 years. The organization is viewed as a trusted resource to low-income and culturally diverse patients. Patients trust North County Health Services’ physicians and staff because their experience is generally one of great satisfaction with services, as well as confidence that they will be treated with respect and with sensitivity to their culture.
- San Diego Black Health Associates Inc., founded in 1978, is an organization of African-American health care professionals. Its mission is to enhance the health status of African-Americans in San Diego County through programs that provide education, activities and motivation for health improvement throughout the region.
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 San Diego region, approximately 121,000
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.
