An outreach program aimed at getting college students across California enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans through Covered California has cut the number of uninsured college students in half.
The program, called the CSU Health Education Project, was funded by a grant from Covered California, and targeted the California State University system. The CSU system has the nation’s largest collective student body, at 450,000 students.
Using a peer-to-peer process, students helped educate other members of the student body at the 15 largest campuses in the CSU system, giving 1,500 classroom presentations and staging 300 enrollment events.
Uninsured Rates Drop, Especially Among Latino Students
The results of the outreach program have been significant, with the number of uninsured students on the 15 campuses dropping from 25%-30% to 10%. The percentage of uninsured Latino students dropped from more than 40% to 13%. This is especially significant, considering that Covered California had been previously criticized for lack of outreach to Latino consumers.
Young People Vital to the Success of the Affordable Care Act
Young people (who are not on their parent’s health insurance plans) are generally less likely to have insurance than older people, yet young people are vital to the success of the ACA. While it’s commonly believed that the young people don’t purchase insurance because they don’t think they need it, responses from a poll taken prior to open enrollment in Covered California last year tell a different story.
More than 80% of students said they were uninsured because they couldn’t afford it, while just 9% reported not needing or wanting insurance. This illustrates that young people want health insurance, but cost is often a hindrance.
With the passage of the ACA, many students now have the option of staying on their parents’ plan through age 26. Alternatively, working students may qualify for a subsidized plan through Covered California, depending on how much they earn. For more information about how the ACA impacts students, click here.
If you are a student looking for California health insurance, call BenefitPackages today to learn more about your options and whether you qualify for a subsidized plan through Covered California.