Covered California urges uninsured Californians to get affordable health insurance

Covered California urges uninsured Californians to get affordable health insurance

Updated: 10:48 AM PST Nov 15, 2023

SOCIAL MEDIA THROUGHOUT THE DAY. IF YOU ARE ONE OF THE MORE THAN 1 MILLION CALIFORNIANS WHO ARE UNINSURED, LISTEN UP. ENROLLMENT IS OPEN NOW FOR THE STATE’S LOW COST INSURANCE. AND JOINING US THIS MORNING WITH HOW TO SIGN UP FOR COVERED CALIFORNIA IS COVERED. CALIFORNIA’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JESSICA ALTMAN. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. SO IT’S FUNNY THAT YOU’RE IN DOING THIS. I HAD JUST SIGNED UP FOR OUR KCRA INSURANCE COVERAGE TODAY, WHICH ALWAYS IS A RELIEF JUST TO HAVE IT TAKEN CARE OF. YOU HAVE OPEN ENROLLMENT GOING ON RIGHT NOW. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION OUT THERE ABOUT THE COVERAGE THAT’S ABLE TO BE OFFERED? THE BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION THAT I HEAR FROM PEOPLE IS I DON’T THINK THAT’S FOR ME. I THINK MY INCOME IS TOO HIGH. IT WON’T BE AFFORDABLE. BUT EVERY YEAR I ALSO HEAR FROM CALIFORNIA TEENS WHO TAKE THE TIME TO JUST CHECK, WHICH ISN’T A LOT OF TIME AND JUST 30S YOU CAN ENTER FOUR PIECES OF INFORMATION AND GET QUICK INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE ELIGIBLE FOR FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. AND PEOPLE EVERY YEAR SAY, I WAS SO SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THIS IS FOR ME AND THAT IT IS MORE AFFORDABLE THAN I THOUGHT, THAT A LOT OF A LOT OF THESE PLANS HAVE REALLY KIND OF, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, DUMBED DOWN THE ENTREE PROCESS, JUST TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE IT IS OVERWHELMING WHAT WHAT HAS BEEN THE IMPACT OF COVERED CALIFORNIA, LIKE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE USING IT, THAT KIND OF THING. SO IN CALIFORNIA, WE HAVE DRIVEN THE UNINSURED RATE FROM OVER 17% BEFORE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT TO JUST 6.5%. THAT IS BOTH A RECORD LOW IN CALIFORNIA AND THE GREATEST DROP OF ANY STATE IN THE NATION. BUT THERE ARE STILL 1.3 MILLION CALIFORNIANS ESTIMATED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL HELP, EITHER THROUGH COVERED CALIFORNIA OR THROUGH MEDI-CAL, YET CONTINUE TO GO UNINSURED AND OVER 130,000 OF THOSE LIVE RIGHT HERE IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA. SO WHAT IS ARE THERE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT ABOUT IT THIS YEAR THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT OR THAT MIGHT BE APPEALING TO THEM? WE’RE VERY EXCITED TO BE OFFERING MORE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE THAN EVER BEFORE. WE ALREADY HAVE RECORD ASSISTANCE LOWERING PREMIUMS. IN FACT, 90% OF THE PEOPLE WE COVER RECEIVE FINANCIAL HELP, TWO THIRDS OF WHOM ARE FINDING A PLAN FOR $10 OR LESS PER MONTH. BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE NOT ONLY IS GETTING COVERAGE AFFORDABLE, BUT ONCE YOU’RE COVERED, WE WANT CARE TO ALSO BE AFFORDABLE. SO THIS NEW PROGRAM, WITH THE SUPPORT OF GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE, IS LOWERING OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS, CO-PAYS, DEDUCTIBLES FOR OVER 650,000. SO THE MONEY THAT YOU’RE PAYING UP FRONT OR PAYING AS YOU GO WHEN YOU GO IN TO GET IT. YEAH. WHICH CAN BE OVERWHELMING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THE DEDUCTIBLE, WHICH IS WHY ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM AGAIN, 650,000, NO DEDUCTIBLES AT ALL IN 2024 WHEN THEY OPT FOR OUR ENHANCED SILVER PLAN. SO WHAT IS A GOOD WAY TO GET MORE INFORMATION AND TO JUST START PLAYING WITH THE SYSTEM TO FIND OUT WHETHER OR NOT IT’S A GOOD FIT? THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS VISIT US ONLINE AT COVEREDCA.COM. THAT’S WHERE YOU CAN DO THAT. FOUR PIECES OF INFORMATION. IF YOU’RE MORE OF A PHONE PERSON OR THE INTERNET IS NOT FOR YOU, YOU CAN ALSO CALL US AT ONE 800 300 AND 1506. BUT WE ALSO HAVE OVER 14,000 ENROLLMENT PARTNERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY. INSURANCE AGENTS, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS WHO SPEAK OVER 50 LANGUAGES. IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO WALK YOU THROUGH IT, WE ARE HERE TO HELP. I’M GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. YOU HAD SAID A NUMBER EARLIER THAT WAS INTERESTING. THE NUMBER OF UNINSURED HAS GONE FROM 17% TO SIX AND A HALF, SIX? OVER HOW MUCH TIME SINCE THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, SINCE COVERED CALIFORNIA REALLY CAME TO BE OUR FIRST YEAR WAS WAS 2014. SO JUST ABOUT TEN YEARS. SIGNIFICANT DROP. IT’S A HUGE DROP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND

Covered California urges uninsured Californians to get affordable health insurance

Updated: 10:48 AM PST Nov 15, 2023

Roughly one million Californians don’t have health insurance. The push is on to get more people protected through Covered California. Covered California is the health exchange that offers subsidized coverage to comply with the Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare.The number of uninsured Californians has gone from 17% to 6% since Covered California was started. Still, many people don’t realize they could benefit from the coverage. Jessica Altman is the executive director of Covered California. “The biggest misconception is that they make too much money or maybe can’t afford it. They often find out that’s not true,” Altman said.Several plans are available: Bronze 60 Plan: A healthy individual / family who does not have medical conditionsSilver 70 Plan: A healthy individual/ family who want an affordable middle of the road planGold Plan: A healthy individual/ family who frequently uses medical servicesPlatinum Plan: A healthy individual/ family who frequently uses medical services Click here to review plans, rates and discounts. Enrollment is open now.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

Roughly one million Californians don’t have health insurance. The push is on to get more people protected through Covered California.

Covered California is the health exchange that offers subsidized coverage to comply with the Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as Obamacare.

The number of uninsured Californians has gone from 17% to 6% since Covered California was started.

Still, many people don’t realize they could benefit from the coverage.

Jessica Altman is the executive director of Covered California.

“The biggest misconception is that they make too much money or maybe can’t afford it. They often find out that’s not true,” Altman said.

Several plans are available:

• Bronze 60 Plan: A healthy individual / family who does not have medical conditions
• Silver 70 Plan: A healthy individual/ family who want an affordable middle of the road plan
• Gold Plan: A healthy individual/ family who frequently uses medical services
• Platinum Plan: A healthy individual/ family who frequently uses medical services

Click here to review plans, rates and discounts. Enrollment is open now.