Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, is getting ready for its second open enrollment, which begins November 15.
By the end of the first open enrollment in early 2014, millions of Californians had enrolled in plans through the marketplace or through Medi-Cal, and millions more are expected to renew their plans or obtain new plans after open enrollment begins this November.
Covered California Benefits Latino Community
One of the biggest areas of concern during the first Covered California enrollment year was lack of outreach to the Latino community. While Covered California was initially scrutinized for not adequately reaching out to Latinos, a recent report by the Commonwealth Fund highlighted drops in the uninsured rate among Latinos, which is attributable to the availability of subsidized coverage through Covered California and Medi-Cal. The rate of young Latinos aged 19-34, for example, fell from 43% last year to 23% after the open enrollment period ended in June 2014.
One of the biggest hurdles Latinos and other groups face nationwide is the refusal of many states to expand Medicaid. In the states that chose to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, including California, the uninsured rate among Latinos dropped from 35% to 17%, while in the states that chose not to expand Medicaid the rate remained largely unchanged at around 33%.
Despite technical glitches and other problems during the first enrollment period, the ACA has helped millions of people obtain affordable coverage across the nation—many of whom would not have been able to afford it otherwise.
Get Expert Help Enrolling in Covered California
Unlike many of the unlicensed insurance navigators appointed to help people enroll in marketplace plans, BenefitPackages has more than 20 years of experience helping Californians navigate the complex world of health insurance. We’ll help you understand all of your options for coverage and determine your eligibility for subsidies and/or tax breaks. Call us today for information about enrollment.