Health
Covered California and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that from Oct. 1, 2013, to Feb. 28, 2014, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 33,111 consumers in mostly rural Northern California counties enrolled in subsidized and non-subsidized Covered California health insurance plans.
The new total represents a 19 percent increase from the 27,853 enrollments recorded through Jan. 31. An additional 35,842 consumers have been determined likely eligible for Medi-Cal in these counties.
The open-enrollment period for health insurance plans in Covered California’s marketplace ends March 31. Enrollment in Medi-Cal is year round.
The Northern California counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne and Yuba represent about 4 percent of the statewide enrollment.
The local total includes 29,971 consumers eligible for financial subsidies.
These counties encompass Covered California pricing region 1. For Medi-Cal, these 22 counties represent 3 percent of those deemed likely eligible for Medi-Cal coverage.
The impressive pace of enrollments in the region is due in part to enhanced aspects of Covered California’s customer service.
The agency has increased staff to answer consumer calls, added phone lines, improved its website efficiency, expanded its live Web chat function and upgraded its Spanish-language Web pages. DHCS is continuing its work with counties and Covered California to process the vast number of applications and quickly deliver health coverage to all who are eligible.
For the five-month period ending Feb. 28, 880,082 consumers enrolled in plans statewide. The total increased to 923,832 through March 9.
Covered California also announced on Monday that it had enrolled more than 1 million consumers as of March 14.
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LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – On Wednesday, March 19, the county of Lake is hosting a blood drive at the Lake County Courthouse at 255 N. Forbes St. in Lakeport between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The blood draws will take place in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers on the first floor.
“This is something of tremendous value that costs nothing to give,” said District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, who also serves as the chair of the North Coast Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Committee.
The blood drive is the brain child of Assistant Clerk of the Board of Supervisors Mireya Turner.
With so much negativity being reported on a daily basis, she thought it would be a good pick-me-up for the community.
“I started to think about things we could do in our community because when we step outside our own lives and do something that benefits others, it is a very empowering and positive experience,” said Turner.
Turner contacted the Blood Centers of the Pacific, which collects and distributes blood to 50 hospitals in the Northern California area, including Sutter Lakeside Hospital and St. Helena Clearlake Hospital here in Lake County.
During a 12-day period in January, blood collected by Blood Centers of the Pacific helped save the lives of more than 40 Northern California residents, ranging in ages from newborns to those in their 80s.
Each individual donation of blood has the ability to save up to three lives. Blood collected during this drive will be used locally in Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
Supervisor Brown says he’s proud of the residents in Lake County. “When you have a small community like ours, one of our major resources is the volunteers who are willing to give of themselves.”
Please call Sara Shucart at 707-263-2368 to schedule your appointment.
For more information or to schedule your appointment online, you can visit www.bloodheroes.com and click “Donate Blood” and enter the zip code: 95453.
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- Written by: Editor
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