- “Covered in Art” bus tour will travel 1,300 miles and make stops in cities across California over 6 days to promote enrollment in health insurance.
- Local artists will paint permanent murals at community clinics and other locations across the state to promote health and wellness and attract attention to places where Californians can enroll.
- Californians will be encouraged to visit CoveredCA.com and check out their options because prices for some may be lower this year.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Covered California on Friday continued its statewide bus tour to enroll consumers in health insurance, arriving in Santa Barbara to feature a comprehensive marketing and outreach campaign and showcase a local muralist to promote health and wellness.
“We’ve launched this 22-stop bus tour and our statewide advertising with ads to make sure everyone in California knows there are quality health insurance options available now for 2018,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “While there’s uncertainty in Washington, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land and financial help is bringing care within reach for millions whether you live in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo or Ventura.”
Open enrollment in California, which started on Nov. 1 and will run through Jan. 31, 2018, is the one time of year when anyone who needs health insurance can enroll without having to meet special qualifying conditions. Consumers should enroll by Dec. 15 for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2018. (Open enrollment in many other states will end after 45 days on Dec. 15).
The “Covered in Art” bus tour will make stops at locations throughout the state where local artists will paint murals to attract attention to enrollment locations and promote health and wellness. At least twelve murals will be painted on locations in communities across the state.
“The ‘Covered in Art’ project is a living demonstration of the fact that health care is local and that Covered California is woven into the fabric of local communities,” Lee said.
The Covered California bus is stopping at StandUp Paddle Sports Shop on Santa Barbara Street. StandUp is a “mom and pop” business that has been a fixture in the community for more than a decade.
The mural at StandUp will feature the words “Riding the Health Wave of Life” and exemplifies the health and fitness lifestyle of the California surf culture.
The mural will be created by David Flores, a Mexican-American artist who started illustrating for skateboards, surfboards and snowboards at age 17. He worked for Shorty’s Skateboards in Santa Barbara as a freelance Illustrator and also participated in other commercial collaborations with Disney’s limited edition Block28 collectors art collection, Stussy, Oakley Sunglasses, Warner Brothers, DC SHOES and Vans. Flores is committed to serving the communities of Southern California and is a member of Skid Row Housing Trust in Los Angeles and Freedom for Youth in Santa Barbara.
Flores credits the Affordable Care Act with taking care of his girlfriend when she broke her arm during a bike ride. Not only did having health coverage help heal his girlfriend but it also helped save her money. Flores is excited to participate in the “Covered in Art” campaign because he wants everyone to be aware that insurance could save an individual’s life – and their life savings.
“Part of Covered California’s tradition is multi-cultural, multi-lingual marketing and outreach in diverse communities across the state to promote enrollment, and make sure everyone in the state knows there’s help to buy health insurance,” Lee said.
From Santa Barbara, the bus will travel to San Luis Obispo before traveling to Bakersfield, Visalia, Fresno, Modesto, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Salinas, San Jose and Oakland. All told, the Covered California bus will travel more than 1,300 miles.
“Covered California is not standing still,” Lee said. “For the first time, consumers can find resources on our website and even enroll on their cell phones. In addition, we have new tools that make it easier to shop and easier to find resources in other languages.”
Research commissioned by Covered California shows that many people still don’t know there’s financial help to buy health insurance, and those concerned about the future of health exchanges are less inclined to enroll. But Lee said Covered California is solid for 2018.
The art tour is being supplemented by a new statewide advertising campaign, with the message “Life can change in an instant,” to drive home the message that anyone can find themselves suddenly needing health insurance. The advertising campaign, which includes ads in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean and Vietnamese, can be viewed here: https://vimeopro.com/coveredcanews/instant-tv.
“We want consumers to know we’re offering the same quality coverage we’ve offered since we opened our doors in 2014,” Lee said. “Don’t let the distant thunder in Washington keep you from getting the financial help available to buy health insurance. Covered California is here for you today and will be here for you tomorrow.”
Covered California’s open enrollment period will continue through Jan. 31, 2018. While open enrollment continues through the end of January, consumers should sign up by Dec. 15 to have coverage starting January of 2018. Consumers interested in learning more about their options should go to CoveredCA.com where they can shop to explore their options or get free in-person assistance in the area where they live. In addition, consumers can call the Covered California service center to enroll at (800) 300-1506.
About Covered California
Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find affordable, high-quality insurance from top insurance companies. Covered California is the only place where individuals who qualify can get financial assistance on a sliding scale to reduce premium costs. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Depending on their income, some consumers may qualify for the low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal program.
Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the health insurance marketplace 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.
