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.
