Covered California Unveils ‘Hot Spot’ Maps To Target Uninsured
Tuesday is the deadline for selecting a health plan through Covered California that will take effect at the beginning of 2016, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/Los Angeles Times, 12/14).
Ahead of the enrollment deadline, the exchange released "hot spot" maps that note large populations of uninsured individuals across the state (Feder Ostrov, Kaiser Health News, 12/11).
Background
As of last week, more than 83,000 new enrollees had signed up for coverage through Covered California since the Affordable Care Act's third open enrollment period launched Nov. 1.
Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee projected that a total of 260,000 to 500,000 residents will sign up for coverage by the end of the enrollment period. He noted that officials are "feeling very optimistic" that they will meet their goal (California Healthline, 12/9).
Tuesday is the deadline to enroll in or make changes to coverage that takes effect on Jan. 1, 2016. Consumers who do not make changes will see their coverage automatically renewed in January. The third enrollment period's final deadline is Jan. 31, 2016 (AP/Los Angeles Times, 12/14).
Calif. Exchange Targets 'Hot Spots'
Meanwhile, Covered California is focusing its enrollment efforts on "hot spots" across the state with large populations of uninsured residents, Kaiser Health News reports.
Last week, Covered California released several maps of such areas, many of which have relatively large populations of residents who are eligible for subsidies. Many of the residents in such areas are Latino. (Kaiser Health News, 12/11).
The hot spots include:
- 11 areas in Riverside and San Bernardino where an estimated average of 7.3% of residents are eligible for subsidies, compared with an average of 4.3% in the Inland Empire overall (Covered California release [1], 12/10);
- Nine areas in Orange County where an estimated average of 5.6% of residents are eligible for subsidies, compared with an average of 2.2% in Orange County overall (Covered California release [2], 12/10);
- Eight areas in the South Bay where an estimated average of 3.8% of residents are eligible for subsidies (Covered California release [3], 12/11);
- Six areas in San Diego where an estimated average of 4.3% of residents are eligible for subsidies, compared with an average of 2.1% in San Diego County overall (Covered California release [4], 12/10);
- Six areas in Oakland where an estimated average of 4.3% of residents are eligible for subsidies;
- Five areas in San Francisco where an estimated average of 3.2% of residents are eligible for subsidies;
- Three areas in Contra Costa County where an estimated average of 5.1% of residents are eligible for subsidies (Covered California release [3], 12/10);
- Three areas in Sacramento where an estimated average of 8% of residents are eligible for subsidies, compared with an average 3.2% of Sacramento County overall (Covered California release [5], 12/11);
- One area in Marin County where an estimated average of 7.4% of residents are eligible for subsidies (Covered California release [2], 12/11);
- Chico in Butte County where an estimated average of about 7.3% of city residents are eligible subsidies, compared with an average of 3% of Butte County overall (Covered California release [6], 12/11);
- Humboldt County where an estimated average of 4.4% of residents are eligible for subsidies, compared with 2.5% of the state population overall (Covered California release [7], 12/10); and
- Palm Springs and Coachella Valley where an estimated average of 7.3% of residents are eligible for subsidies, compared with an average of 4.7% of Riverside County residents overall (Covered California release [8], 12/11).