- “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.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Covered California on Saturday continued its statewide bus tour to enroll consumers in health insurance, arriving in Bakersfield 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 Bakersfield, Fresno or Sacramento.”
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 Clinica Sierra Vista on 1st Street. Clinica Sierra Vista was created to provide health care to poor, migrant farmworkers who harvest the lush agricultural fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Today, it serves a geographically dispersed, low-to-moderate-fixed income, ethnically diverse, frontier, rural, urban, migrant and homeless patient population, covering Kern, Fresno and Inyo counties.
The mural at Clinica Sierra Vista, which will be 8 feet tall and 33 feet wide, is titled “Grind Harder Than a Molcajete.” A molcajete is a traditional stone tool used by Mexican families. It is used to make side dishes like guacamole and salsa. This mural is a visual representation of Mexican traditions and how health and wellness and healthy food is part of every culture.
The mural will be created by Ruben Espinoza, an experienced illustrator and animator who likes to highlight the local history of each area he paints. Espinoza speaks fluent Spanish, and the culture and traditions of his Mexican heritage influence many of his works. He is devoted to the arts, mentoring high school students interested in becoming professional artists and participating in the committee of a local organization dedicated to advocating for funding for the arts in the school district.
Espinoza also is a Covered California enrollee, and knows the importance of having healthcare. Before the ACA existed, he, like many other uninsured college students, would wait until his health situation was dire before getting health care. He believes art is a fantastic gateway for conversation, and he knows that many Spanish-speaking individuals are unaware of the financial assistance they can get through Covered California to help them pay for insurance and care.
“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 Bakersfield, the bus will travel to Visalia before traveling to, 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.
