News Release

Date Posted

Covered California Spotlights Open Enrollment and Vital Care at JFK Memorial Hospital

Data Show How Covered California Members Are Getting the Right Care at the Right Time in the Coachella Valley

INDIO, Calif. — JFK Memorial Hospital hosted Covered California today, along with the mayors of Indio and La Quinta, as part of Covered California’s 38-stop bus tour spotlighting the historic third open-enrollment period and the care that’s been received by those already enrolled.
“Open enrollment is here, and it’s a very important time for consumers in the Coachella Valley,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “But what’s also important is getting the care afforded to them through their health care coverage. We want to spotlight that when someone enrolls they also have access to great care at hospitals like JFK Memorial.”

Covered California is collecting data from hospitals statewide about the care being delivered to its members, some of whom have insurance for the first time as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.


At JFK Memorial Hospital, 653 Covered California members have received care, including:
  • 563 incidents of general outpatient care.
  • 376 treatments for broken bones and trauma.
  • 16 incidents of care for pneumonia, heart attacks, strokes and kidney infections.
  • 14 incidents of maternal health and childbirth.
  • 6 incidents of pediatric care (including in neonatal intensive care units).
  • 18 incidents of gastrointestinal and urological surgeries and Rx.

In total, 994 cases of care were delivered at JFK Memorial Hospital.
“Getting care at the right place at the right time is extremely important, and having coverage through Covered California helps to make that happen,” said Gary Honts, CEO of JFK Memorial Hospital. “Having that coverage makes it possible to get that critical care following some unforeseen accident or illness.”   

“My constituents and neighbors throughout the Coachella Valley deserve to have quality health care coverage,” said Indio Mayor Lupe Ramos Watson. “They also deserve to get high-quality care at a place like JFK Memorial Hospital. I’m urging all those people who are currently without coverage to go out and get information to make the right decision for them and their family.”

Covered California is spotlighting enrollment because an estimated 2.2 million uninsured Californians remain eligible to get help to make their insurance affordable by enrolling in either Covered California or Medi-Cal. An estimated 750,000 uninsured Californians could enroll through Covered California, including about 92,000 in the Inland Empire alone.

Those who need insurance can go to CoveredCA.com to learn about their options and find locations in their community where they can get free, confidential help enrolling.

This year, Covered California has more than 500 storefront locations statewide where individuals can get help enrolling — twice the number available at the start of last year’s open enrollment.

More information on the Covered California patient data from JFK Memorial Hospital is at www.CoveredCA.com/news/PDFs/jfk-delivering-on-the-promise-of-care.pdf.

JFK Memorial Hospital contracts with Anthem Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, Kaiser Permanente, Health Net and Molina Healthcare.

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.