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Prominent Physicians Group Again Assists in the Effort to Reduce the Number of Uninsured Californians
Prominent Physicians Group Again Assists in the Effort to Reduce the Number of Uninsured Californians
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California and the National
Hispanic Medical Association have again joined forces to raise awareness of the
third open-enrollment period under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act.
The National Hispanic Medical Association partnered with
Covered California during open enrollment for the second consecutive year by
sending out a letter to more than 1,100 association 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 Hispanic Medical Association,” 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. They have been invaluable
partners to Covered California during this process.”
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 Hispanic
Medical Association President and CEO Elena Rios 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 Hispanic Medical Association
(NHMA)
Established in 1994 and based in Washington, D.C., the NHMA
is a nonprofit association representing 50,000 licensed Hispanic physicians in
the United States. The NHMA's mission is to empower Hispanic physicians and
other health care professionals to improve the health of Hispanic populations
with Hispanic medical societies, resident and medical student organizations,
and its public and private sector partners. The vision of the NHMA is to be the
national leader to improve the health of Hispanic populations. For more
information about the NHMA, please visit www.nhmamd.org.
