California Sets Target Of 1.7 Million People Signed Up For Covered California
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — After initial missteps caused a choppy start, California health care officials are betting that an upgraded website, more help and better Spanish-language outreach will result in a smoother and bigger second open enrollment season under the Affordable Care Act this year.
Starting Saturday, Californians who don't have access to health plans through their employer can obtain coverage for 2015 through the state's insurance marketplace known as Covered California. The exchange allows individuals to shop for plans and qualify for subsidies to reduce their premiums. It also directs low-income people to Medi-Cal, the state's free or low-cost Medicaid program.
This season, state officials are trying to sign up more people in a shorter amount of time. Open enrollment runs three months through Feb. 15, compared to six months the first time.
The state has set a target of enrolling 1.7 million people for private health coverage next year, which would include re-enrolling the 1.1 million people who signed up the first season.
"If you or someone you know doesn't have health care coverage right now, this is the opportunity to get the security and peace of mind that comes with health insurance," Executive Director Peter Lee wrote as part of a promotion for a nine-day bus tour advertising open enrollment.
California, which was one of the more successful states in operating its own exchange, hopes to learn from last year's mistakes. Overwhelmed by public interest, the exchange was ill-prepared to handle the high volume of calls and applications, which triggered long wait times at help centers and problems with its website, www.coveredca.com .
The exchange was also criticized early in the first sign-up season for failing to reach out to the Latino community. To increase minority enrollment, the state has refined its outreach campaign to better target Latinos and others who missed the first year.
The exchange has beefed up staff at call centers and installed a dedicated line for insurance agents. There will be about 1,400 representatives to answer the phones compared to 700 last year.
The website has been improved for Spanish-speaking users and participating plans will allow people to pay their first month's premium when they sign up.
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that about 3.4 million uninsured adult Californians gained coverage in the first year of open enrollment out of an estimated 5.9 million uninsured Californians ages 19-64. They were enrolled both through private insurance and Medi-Cal.
Health officials acknowledge that the second round will likely get harder because those who remain uninsured are more difficult to reach. According to Kaiser's survey, one out of four people who remain uninsured said they have never had health coverage and another 45 percent say they have been without coverage for two years or more.
Kaiser found they also tend to be Spanish speakers.
The exchange is responding by boosting spending on Spanish-language media and increasing partnerships with community groups anchored in Latino and African-American neighborhoods. The campaign is using the phrase "I'm in" in English but "Tengo un plan de salud" in Spanish, which means "I have a plan for my health."
Covered California has added representatives to help callers in Spanish, Chinese and other languages. The call centers will also be open on most Sundays during the first month of open enrollment.
Consumer advocates say prospective buyers should take proactive steps such as calling their doctors to make sure they are in their plan network. Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based group backed by attorneys, warned that some insurers have small provider networks and large prescription co-pays that force consumers to pay more out-of-pocket.
Advocates for immigrants have also expressed concerns about changes to Covered California's identity-verification process. The exchange had allowed enrollment counselors to attest that they had verified documents but under federal rules, the state will now use the credit rating agency Experian.
Doreena Wong, project director for Advancing Justice - LA's Health Access Project, which promotes health care programs for immigrants, said Experian may have misspelled names or have other wrong information. Some people may lack a credit history and get can't get verified.
"We're going to wait and see how many problems come up," Wong said.
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