Health
Covered California announced on Friday that for the first time in its history, it would give consumers until Dec. 30 to sign up for health care coverage that begins on Jan. 1, 2021.
The unprecedented move comes as COVID-19 infections and deaths surge throughout the state.
“The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on all of our lives, and Covered California wants to give those who need health insurance as much time as possible to sign up and get coverage that starts on Jan. 1,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “We know there are more than 1.2 million Californians who are uninsured right now, even though they are eligible to receive financial assistance to help to pay for their coverage, and giving them more time is the right thing to do.
Consumers who sign up by Dec. 30 will need to pay their first bill in order to have their coverage take effect on Jan. 1. Covered California also wants to note that consumers will continue to see and hear television, radio and print ads that communicate a Dec. 15 deadline over the next few days, and they should ignore that deadline given today’s announcement of an extension.
“Most of the people who are uninsured either do not know they are eligible for financial assistance, or they have not checked recently to see how affordable quality coverage can be,” Lee said. “No one should wait to sign up, and we are extending the deadline through Dec. 30 to give all of us more time to spread the word and make sure our family and friends have health insurance during this pandemic.”
An estimated 1.2 million uninsured people in the state are either eligible for financial help through Covered California, or they qualify for low-cost or no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal.
Covered California said the uninsured who are eligible for help include 139,000 residents of Northern California and the Sacramento Valley and 122,000 in the greater Bay Area.
Of those eligible for subsidies, more than half — 650,000 — are believed to be Latino.
“We want everyone to have their coverage in place, and ready for them when they need it, as early as possible,” Lee said.
Roughly nine out of every 10 consumers who enroll through Covered California receive financial assistance — in the form of federal tax credits, state subsidies, or both — which helps make health care more affordable.
California’s state subsidies, which first became available in 2020, are benefiting nearly 600,000 consumers — including more than 41,000 middle-income consumers who had previously been ineligible for financial help because they exceeded the federal income requirements.
The latest data shows that, with the combination of federal tax credits and state subsidies, the average consumer receiving financial help paid an average of $127 per month for their coverage (with federal and state assistance reducing their costs by $454 or nearly 80 percent).
The state subsidies are only available to eligible consumers through Covered California. The amount of financial help consumers receive will vary depending on their age, their annual household income and the cost of health care in their region.
Shop and compare
Those interested in applying for coverage can explore their options — and find out whether they are eligible for financial help — in just a few minutes by using the Shop and Compare Tool at www.CoveredCA.com. All they need to do is enter their ZIP code, household income and the ages of those who need coverage to find out which plans are available in their area.
Covered California has already begun to see high call volumes and is encouraging consumers to act now and not wait until the end of the month to sign up.
“Do not wait until the last minute, or let this deadline go past, without checking your options,” Lee said. “In only a few minutes at CoveredCA.com, you can see which plans are available in your area and whether you qualify for financial help to bring the price of coverage within reach.”
Getting help enrolling
Consumers interested in learning more about their coverage options can:
– Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
– Get free and confidential in-person assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
– Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
– Call Covered California at 800-300-1506.
The unprecedented move comes as COVID-19 infections and deaths surge throughout the state.
“The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on all of our lives, and Covered California wants to give those who need health insurance as much time as possible to sign up and get coverage that starts on Jan. 1,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “We know there are more than 1.2 million Californians who are uninsured right now, even though they are eligible to receive financial assistance to help to pay for their coverage, and giving them more time is the right thing to do.
Consumers who sign up by Dec. 30 will need to pay their first bill in order to have their coverage take effect on Jan. 1. Covered California also wants to note that consumers will continue to see and hear television, radio and print ads that communicate a Dec. 15 deadline over the next few days, and they should ignore that deadline given today’s announcement of an extension.
“Most of the people who are uninsured either do not know they are eligible for financial assistance, or they have not checked recently to see how affordable quality coverage can be,” Lee said. “No one should wait to sign up, and we are extending the deadline through Dec. 30 to give all of us more time to spread the word and make sure our family and friends have health insurance during this pandemic.”
An estimated 1.2 million uninsured people in the state are either eligible for financial help through Covered California, or they qualify for low-cost or no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal.
Covered California said the uninsured who are eligible for help include 139,000 residents of Northern California and the Sacramento Valley and 122,000 in the greater Bay Area.
Of those eligible for subsidies, more than half — 650,000 — are believed to be Latino.
“We want everyone to have their coverage in place, and ready for them when they need it, as early as possible,” Lee said.
Roughly nine out of every 10 consumers who enroll through Covered California receive financial assistance — in the form of federal tax credits, state subsidies, or both — which helps make health care more affordable.
California’s state subsidies, which first became available in 2020, are benefiting nearly 600,000 consumers — including more than 41,000 middle-income consumers who had previously been ineligible for financial help because they exceeded the federal income requirements.
The latest data shows that, with the combination of federal tax credits and state subsidies, the average consumer receiving financial help paid an average of $127 per month for their coverage (with federal and state assistance reducing their costs by $454 or nearly 80 percent).
The state subsidies are only available to eligible consumers through Covered California. The amount of financial help consumers receive will vary depending on their age, their annual household income and the cost of health care in their region.
Shop and compare
Those interested in applying for coverage can explore their options — and find out whether they are eligible for financial help — in just a few minutes by using the Shop and Compare Tool at www.CoveredCA.com. All they need to do is enter their ZIP code, household income and the ages of those who need coverage to find out which plans are available in their area.
Covered California has already begun to see high call volumes and is encouraging consumers to act now and not wait until the end of the month to sign up.
“Do not wait until the last minute, or let this deadline go past, without checking your options,” Lee said. “In only a few minutes at CoveredCA.com, you can see which plans are available in your area and whether you qualify for financial help to bring the price of coverage within reach.”
Getting help enrolling
Consumers interested in learning more about their coverage options can:
– Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
– Get free and confidential in-person assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
– Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
– Call Covered California at 800-300-1506.
- Details
- Written by: Covered California
ST. HELENA, Calif. – Adventist Health St. Helena invites the community to join their virtual celebration Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 10 a.m. to commemorate the reopening of the hospital after being temporarily closed for more than two months, following the devastation caused by the Glass fire.
The virtual event will include remarks from Steven Herber, MD, president and Timothy Lyons, MD, chief medical officer and Debby Hobbs, MD, an admitting hospitalist and community member.
The presentations will include a glimpse into who was behind the reopening efforts and how Adventist Health is prepared to face COVID-19.
This will be followed by celebratory events on the campus to honor the team and recognize the power of everyone working together towards the goal of reopening and resuming patient care.
Dr. Herber commented how important it is for doctors, nurses and staff to celebrate this milestone, because everyone worked so hard and they were motivated by one common goal – getting back to our patients.
“After thousands of hours of planning, hard work and a long arduous process that would make even the most patient person take a deep breath, this team deserves to be recognized. It feels great knowing that tomorrow the staff will be back together to stand ready to help our patients and community, especially during this critical time as we all face the crisis of COVID-19,” Dr. Herber said.
Adventist Health St. Helena Operations Executive Hoda Assadian added that this process was all-consuming. “Our teams have been working 24/7 to make the necessary repairs to our systems, deep cleaning the entire facility from top to bottom, replacing all supplies, flushing out the water system and removing debris. Getting all of the intricate systems and equipment cleaned, tested, retested and calibrated were onerous tasks critical to the reopening plan. We’re happy to report this hospital is now better than ever, and it’s been certified by officials that we’re safe and ready to reopen tomorrow at 7 a.m.,” Assadian said.
Despite the resources required to reopen the hospital, Adventist Health hasn’t stopped there. Their team has been busy taking care of the needs of the community with its clinics in Napa, St. Helena and Calistoga and its mobile health program.
Mobi, the mobile health unit provides access to primary care and COVID-19 testing via a mobile health van that travels to various locations throughout Napa Valley. Information about the mobile unit’s schedule is available at www.facebook.com/ahsthelena or www.facebook.com/sthelenahospitalfoundation.
Adventist Health also launched free counseling to help residents deal with stress of COVID-19 and the wildfire.
Together with SyncTALK, by Synchronous Health, the counseling service connects participants to a licensed counselor who can help residents deal with the stress and anxiety they might be feeling.
The offer includes four free sessions, each 30 minutes long, and they’re held virtually via phone or video. Residents interested in receiving this care can visit https://sync.health/napa-valley for more information or to schedule a session.
The virtual event will include remarks from Steven Herber, MD, president and Timothy Lyons, MD, chief medical officer and Debby Hobbs, MD, an admitting hospitalist and community member.
The presentations will include a glimpse into who was behind the reopening efforts and how Adventist Health is prepared to face COVID-19.
This will be followed by celebratory events on the campus to honor the team and recognize the power of everyone working together towards the goal of reopening and resuming patient care.
Dr. Herber commented how important it is for doctors, nurses and staff to celebrate this milestone, because everyone worked so hard and they were motivated by one common goal – getting back to our patients.
“After thousands of hours of planning, hard work and a long arduous process that would make even the most patient person take a deep breath, this team deserves to be recognized. It feels great knowing that tomorrow the staff will be back together to stand ready to help our patients and community, especially during this critical time as we all face the crisis of COVID-19,” Dr. Herber said.
Adventist Health St. Helena Operations Executive Hoda Assadian added that this process was all-consuming. “Our teams have been working 24/7 to make the necessary repairs to our systems, deep cleaning the entire facility from top to bottom, replacing all supplies, flushing out the water system and removing debris. Getting all of the intricate systems and equipment cleaned, tested, retested and calibrated were onerous tasks critical to the reopening plan. We’re happy to report this hospital is now better than ever, and it’s been certified by officials that we’re safe and ready to reopen tomorrow at 7 a.m.,” Assadian said.
Despite the resources required to reopen the hospital, Adventist Health hasn’t stopped there. Their team has been busy taking care of the needs of the community with its clinics in Napa, St. Helena and Calistoga and its mobile health program.
Mobi, the mobile health unit provides access to primary care and COVID-19 testing via a mobile health van that travels to various locations throughout Napa Valley. Information about the mobile unit’s schedule is available at www.facebook.com/ahsthelena or www.facebook.com/sthelenahospitalfoundation.
Adventist Health also launched free counseling to help residents deal with stress of COVID-19 and the wildfire.
Together with SyncTALK, by Synchronous Health, the counseling service connects participants to a licensed counselor who can help residents deal with the stress and anxiety they might be feeling.
The offer includes four free sessions, each 30 minutes long, and they’re held virtually via phone or video. Residents interested in receiving this care can visit https://sync.health/napa-valley for more information or to schedule a session.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
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