Covered California To ‘Double-Down’ on Efforts To Enroll Latinos

On Monday, Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee said the exchange will "double-down" on its efforts to sign up Latino residents during the second open enrollment period, which began Saturday, the Monterey Herald reports (Johnson, Monterey Herald, 11/17).

Background

Latinos are seen as being key to the success of the Affordable Care Act. Many Latinos are uninsured, and they pose a lower financial risk because they typically are younger and healthier than other uninsured residents.

During the first open enrollment period, 46% of California residents eligible for government health insurance subsidies were Latino (California Healthline, 4/4).

However, about 31% of state residents who enrolled in coverage during the first open enrollment period were Latino, according to Lee. Lee said Latino residents with limited English proficiency were less likely to sign up.

Details of Efforts To Enroll Latinos

According to Lee, "Many Latinos have never had insurance before" and the exchange will be working "on dispelling the myth that insurance is not affordable."

Lee said the exchange is focusing on providing in-person counseling and enrollment assistance in areas with large Latino populations, such as Salinas.

In addition, Lee said that Latino residents who obtained a health plan during the first open enrollment period are at a higher risk of not renewing that coverage because they have never gone through the renewal process.

No Provider Directory Planned

Meanwhile, Lee also said that Covered California has no plans to release a comprehensive directory of physicians included in each exchange health plan.

Instead, Lee said the exchange will post links to insurers' directories and will work with insurance companies to improve those indexes (Monterey Herald, 11/17).