Prominent Physicians Group Again Assists in the Effort to Reduce the Number of Uninsured Californians
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California and the National
Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians have again joined forces to raise
awareness of the third open-enrollment period under the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act.
The National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians partnered
with Covered California during open enrollment for the second consecutive year
by sending out a letter to more than 3,000 council members that featured ways
to get the word out about open enrollment in physicians’ offices and on social
media sites.
Open enrollment began on Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 31.
“We are proud to be partnering again with the trusted
members of the National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians,” Covered
California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “Their voices help us highlight
the importance of the open-enrollment period and our shared goal of getting as
many Californians health insurance coverage as possible.”
An estimated 750,000 uninsured Californians remain eligible
to enroll in a health insurance plan through Covered California, and
approximately 1.4 million uninsured Californians qualify for Medi-Cal coverage.
Cultivating a culture of coverage is also a goal of
physicians across California.
“We recognize how significant open enrollment is for our
patients and consumers across California and the nation,” National Council of
Asian Pacific Islander Physicians President and CEO Dr. Ho Luong Tran said. “We
want to do our part to ensure more Californians have health care coverage than
ever before.”
Covered California has served more than 2 million consumers
since it began offering health coverage in January 2014. Last year, nine out of
10 Covered California enrollees received financial assistance to help pay for their
coverage.
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.
About the National Council of Asian Pacific
Islander Physicians (NCAPIP)
NCAPIP is a national organization of Asian-American, Native
Hawaiian and Pacific Islander physicians who advocate for the health and
well-being of our patients and communities. Its board members are leaders in
national, state, and local physician organizations and medical groups. They are
primary and specialty care physicians practicing across a wide variety of
settings from small and solo practices, multi-specialty medical groups, community
health centers, private and public hospitals, integrated health delivery
systems, academic health centers, and state and local health departments.
