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Community Partner Newsletter I S S U E N U M B E R 2

November-December 2014

GENDER HEALTH CENTER

Connectingwith

the LGBTpopulation

As the executive director of the Gender Health Center in Sacramento, Ben Hudson recognizes

that his job doesn’t end once an application for health coverage is signed. The small, four-

employee agency (www.thegenderhealthcenter.org) that provides counseling and benefits

advocacy to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community is a top-performing

Certified Enrollment Entity, signing up more than 1,000 individuals in Covered California and

Medi-Cal plans. As Covered California gears up for the next open-enrollment period, Hudson had

a few words to share about how the center is successfully engaging the LGBT community.

continued on page 2

A WORD FROM THE DIRECTOR

‘Enroll Here’ Signage AvailableThe much-anticipated Covered California enrollment event signage is now available for order. The sign,

which reads “Enroll Here” and contains the Covered California logo, is available in English, Spanish and

Chinese. Signage is available for pickup at Covered California regional offices located in Los Angeles,

Oakland, Fresno and Sacramento, through the following Covered California staff:

Los Angeles — Claudie Kiti-Bustamante, [email protected], (916) 539-4773

Oakland — Thomas Li, [email protected], (916) 539-5293

Fresno — Athena Fleming, [email protected], (916) 539-4029

Sacramento — Irene Ng, [email protected], (916) 228-8378

The signs can also be ordered online for a nominal cost through Covered California’s print store at http://360.kpcorp.com/coveredca.

continued on page 4

Welcome to the

newest issue of

the Community

Partner Newsletter,

which offers

an inside look

at some of the

people throughout

California who are helping to enroll

individuals in health coverage under the

Affordable Care Act. With this newsletter

I’m thrilled to introduce our new sales

director, Kirk Whelan, and offer some

important updates about the work we’ll

be doing together in the coming months.

In the first year, the fact that health

care is regional, local and personal was

reinforced again and again. We invite

you to read about people on the ground

from Sacramento to Solano County to

Los Angeles who are doing the hard work

to help people get and keep the health

coverage they need.

We worked hard over the summer to

improve our operations — expanding the

2 Community Partner Newsletter Nov.-Dec. 2014

RENEWAL KEY DATES

Renewal notices start going out to encourage consumers to renew their coverage on CoveredCA.com and update their information.

15NOV

15DEC

15JAN

15FEB

2014

15OCT20142014 2015 2015

Consumers who purchased health coverage for 2014 have begun receiving renewal notices urging them to visit CoveredCA.com to renew their coverage for 2015. When they have completed the process, they will receive a bill from their insurance plans in December. Consumers who take no action by Dec. 15, 2014, will be renewed into their existing plan and receive a bill with their new premium and tax credit lowering their monthly payment. (Those receiving Medi-Cal should not renew on CoveredCA.com, but should wait to hear from Medi-Cal about next steps.)

15NOV

15DEC

15JAN

15FEB

2014

15OCT20142014 2015 2015

Last day to change your plan selection to avoid any gap in coverage.

Premium must be received by your plan by Dec. 26 to avoid any gap in coverage.

26DEC2014

Continued from page 1 – Gender Health Center

Q. What kind of unique outreach strategies do you use for the LGBT population?

A. We’re using the hashtags #OutToEnroll and #OutforHealthCalifornia to brand the cause and

get folks engaged — not only to get enrolled, but also to volunteer to engage other people in

the LGBT community and let them know there are culturally competent people out there who

can help.

Many things when it comes to enrolling an LGBT person in health coverage need to be

considered. How you file your taxes, your marital status — these are all things that are very

relevant and important to LGBT people in California, especially as marriage equality has been

passed. Transgender individuals are now able to get their hormones and many surgeries

[which may be needed for an individual’s transition process] covered under their insurance.

Many trans folks don’t even know that, so there’s a lot of trans individuals in the same sort of

circumstances that many people are, saying “Eh, I guess I gotta [sign up]” or “Maybe I’ll take

the penalty.” We’re able to say, “Do you know that all Covered California and all Medi-Cal plans

cover hormone treatment and many surgeries?” So, all of a sudden, it’s like, “I’m going to sign

up just for that!” Then we’re able to say, “And it comes with insurance!”

Q. What message do you have for other Covered California partners?

A. We really want other partners to know that we’re part of the LGBT community. As such, we

have expert knowledge on enrolling LGBT folks into plans, and we want to be a resource for

our partners to connect with about LGBT folks they may be enrolling. I think this collaborative

effort is really something we all need to think about. We shouldn’t become competitive about

enrolling people. There are more than enough people out there for us all to meet our numbers.

So, how can we really do that and do it the best way possible? If there’s anyone out there

enrolling an LGBT person, and they’re not quite sure how to do their application, we want

them to call us. We don’t want your enrollment, we just want you to connect with us so that

we can help you answer your questions and make sure you’re giving the right information to

those folks.

Update on Payments

Covered California greatly appreciates the

patience of those individuals still waiting to

receive payment for some of the work that

took place during our first open-enrollment

period. We could not have enrolled more

than 1 million people in California if it were

not for the support we received from

individuals working on the ground in

communities.

Covered California’s goal is to have all of

the Certified Enrollment Entity qualified

health plan payments, Certified Enrollment

Entity Medi-Cal payments and Certified

Insurance Agent Medi-Cal payments paid

by the first of the year, with some payments

being made in late November. If you

receive a request for further information

from Covered California, please return the

information to Covered California as soon as

possible to ensure payments can be made

expeditiously. We will continue to provide

updates about these payments in future

newsletters.

Community Partner Newsletter Nov.-Dec. 2014 3

OPEN ENROLLMENT KEY DATES

Open enrollment begins.

15NOV

15DEC

15JAN

15FEB

2014

15OCT20142014 2015 2015

Open enrollment is the next opportunity for all Californians to benefit from new insurance rules, including the requirement that insurance be offered regardless of health status. This is the window of time when Californians can buy subsidized coverage starting in 2015.

Last day to enroll for coverage starting Jan. 1.First premium must be received by your plan by Dec. 26 for coverage to begin Jan. 1.

Last day to enroll for coverage starting Feb. 1.First premium must be received by your plan by Jan. 27 for coverage to begin Feb. 1.

The last day to enroll for coverage starting March 1 and the final day of open enrollment for 2015 coverage. First premium must be paid by Feb. 24 for coverage to begin March 1.

15NOV

15DEC

15JAN

15FEB

2014

15OCT20142014 2015 2015

15NOV

15DEC

15JAN

15FEB

2014

15OCT20142014 2015 2015

15DEC2014

Introducing Kirk WhelanKirk Whelan, director of the Individual and Small Business Sales Division at Covered California, knows

firsthand the importance of having comprehensive health insurance. Whelan is a father of three, and his youngest

child, now 17 years old, was born with Down syndrome and also is a four-year cancer survivor.

For Covered California, Whelan, 51, leads the agency’s Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) and Individual

Sales program, including all sales channels: Certified Insurance Agents, Navigators, Certified Enrollment Entities and

Certified Enrollment Counselors, Certified Plan-Based Enrollers, and Outreach and Education Program grantees.

Whelan comes to Covered California from Kaiser Permanente, where he worked in a variety of positions since 1996.

Most recently, he was the sales manager for Kaiser’s valley territory in Northern California, responsible for large- and small-business membership

sales, and was the leader of Kaiser Permanente’s California small-business strategy team.

“Our health care industry is going through a historic transformation, and California is helping lead the way in moving the nation toward better

population health, outcome-based medicine and affordable care,” Whelan said. “The opportunity to play a sales leadership role with our exchange is

very exciting and one that I felt would only come along once in a lifetime.”

FAST FACTS:School — Whelan graduated from California Polytechnic State University,

San Luis Obispo, with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural

business management, concentrating in marketing and sales.

Family — Whelan is married and has three children.

Giving back — For the past five years, he’s been involved with

fundraising for Okizu, a camp in Oroville, Calif., for children being treated

for cancer and their families.

Sales philosophy — “Work hard to stay at the top of your game,” he

said. “Help your sales force sell more, faster. The organization matters.

Develop a team of “A” players through coaching, empowerment and

engagement. Model the way.”

After hours — “I am an avid golfer and skier. I’m interested in good

health, running two or three half-marathons a year,” he said. “I also enjoy

road biking during the summer in preparation for the annual Tour De

Tahoe 72-mile ride around Lake Tahoe in September.”

Certified Insurance Agents — Whelan said they are “established and

trusted professionals in communities across the state, and they are

crucial to helping consumers and employers enjoy the benefits of the

Affordable Care Act. The law is going to trigger many changes in the way

care is organized and delivered in California. Agents and other Covered

California partners will be on the front lines of making this new era of

care a success.”


Covered California will start open

enrollment for 2015 coverage with more

than 1,300 Service Center representatives

helping consumers over the phone,

by Web chat or by processing their

paperwork.

Julia, 26, is one of the hundreds of

representatives at the Rancho Cordova

Service Center location assisting

consumers. She has been with Covered

California since February, while 2014

open enrollment was still underway,

and said the first few months were

overwhelming but rewarding.

“It’s definitely been interesting, and everyone’s really tight-knit,” she said. “They all maintain a

sense of humor, and it’s important because we’re all in this together and trying to figure out the

best way to do things.”

During the next open-enrollment period, about 2 million consumers are expected to call into

Covered California’s Service Center offices in Rancho Cordova, Fresno and Concord, as well as a

newly opened Service Center location in Sacramento.

Julia breathed a sigh of relief when talking about all the additional staff that have been hired —

many of them bilingual — to help people get through the process. While the vast majority of

consumers are served in their own languages by Covered California staff, the capacity of the

Service Center will be expanded more in order to serve callers in Spanish, Chinese and other

languages.

“We have hired a lot of new staff, and I was honestly a little mortified before that. We beefed up

our staff a lot, and it makes me feel confident, especially with the new people, because they seem

to be catching on. I’ve been helping them as much as I can, because it will make my life easier.”

While Julia’s main focus now is reading up on processes and being sure she has all relevant

information at hand, she said she’s ready for the calls every day when she arrives. She begins her day

at 11:45 a.m., which is typically a busy time, given that it is during the lunch hour for many people.

Service Center hours have been expanded to accommodate consumers after hours, with

representatives now available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 6

p.m. on Saturday. The Center will also be open on Sundays from Nov. 16 to Dec. 14.

With the historic first open enrollment behind Covered California, Julia seemed at ease about how

the next few months would go for her and her colleagues. “It’s not going to be as crazy, because

this is the second time around, and we’re more familiar with everything. I feel like we’re more

organized.”

To add to that, she said most of the people she talks with over the phone are understanding.

“People are always grateful because we can really talk with them and explain things to them. They

seem to really appreciate our help.”

Julia Is Ready to Rock and EnrollB E H I N D T H E C U B I C L E

number of Service Center representatives,

extending Service Center hours and

redesigning the website, among other

things. But our work is far from over.

Open enrollment is shorter this year —

running from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15 — and

there’s much to do. Last year we made

history; let’s do it again this year and enroll

even more uninsured Californians in health

coverage for 2015.

0

1 million

1.5 million

2 million

1.12mto date

1.7m2015 goal

500k

Covered CaliforniaENROLLMENT

continued from page 1 — Director’s Message

Questions or comments about this newletter?

Please send an email to: [email protected]

Our next issue will be out in January 2015.


Step 1: Elementary, my dear.“HMO vs. PPO. I keep it simple. HMO is the insurance where you need to

select your primary care physician, and in order to go to see a specialist,

you need to get an authorization. PPO is having the freedom to go

and come as you please as long as you stay within the network of the

insurance carrier.

“I then explain what a deductible is and where it applies. I normally tell

them that the deductible would apply if they have a surgery or stay in

the hospital.”

Step 2: You insure your car, so why not yourself?“When they give me the objection as to what is the need to pay for health

insurance, I do the car insurance comparison. We all need car insurance,

right? You pay for car insurance. When your car breaks down, you take it

to the mechanic. Well, if you break down, you go to the doctor.

“When you need a tune-up, the car insurance doesn’t pay for it; you

have to pay for it. So, think of that as your doctor visits. If you get into a

major accident, you have to pay a deductible in order for the insurance

company to cover the cost of the accident. The same thing goes with

health insurance.

“The biggest obstacle was that many people don’t know how health

insurance works. Once I show them the value, they are happy to sign up.”

Step 3: Guide them to choose the best plan for their budget and needs. “People have different ways of understanding. So, as an agent, I need to

be able to help so people aren’t resistant and help them understand —

in simple terms — the benefits of having health insurance. Because if I

tell them, ‘It is the law,’ they don’t like that.”

Final thoughts on misconceptions?“There are still misunderstandings and misleading information out there.

For example, my sister said, ‘All the benefits that they are giving me, they

will come back one day and take it back.’ Or ‘I don’t want to share my

information, because they will use it against me.’”

Luna noted that managing home life, managing a business and helping

with a local radio station can be a juggling act for most. Mix in the

upcoming Covered California open-enrollment period, and she said she

already has a de-stress plan in the works: “Meditation, reiki and walks in

the park!”

Se Habla Seguro de Salud (Health Insurance Talk)

As a Certified Insurance Agent with Covered California, Jackie Luna speaks two valuable languages: insurance and Español.

A mother of five and owner of JM Luna Health, Financial, and Insurance Solutions

(http://jmluna-solutions.com), she enrolled hundreds of individuals and their families into

health insurance plans in their native language during Covered California’s first open-

enrollment period. And because 95 percent of her clients are Spanish-speaking, Luna has

mastered the art of selling insurance to Latinos, and it boils down to one word: simplicity.

Are You ‘In’?We are encouraging everyone who

is already “In” by having coverage —

whether through Covered California,

their job or any other source — to spread

the word to their friends and neighbors by

using social media to share the message. Visit CoveredCA.com

and click on the “Tell a Friend” icon for more information.


Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Mall, Los Angeles

As Covered California readies for the fall open-

enrollment period beginning in November,

partners up and down the state are slated

to open more than 200 storefronts in retail

locations to help educate, enroll and renew

consumers.

During the historic, first open-enrollment

period, consumers relied on a variety of touch

points, including in-person assistance, to

successfully complete enrollment. In June,

Crenshaw Health Partners, a Covered California

Certified Enrollment Entity, opened the doors

to an enrollment center on the second floor of

the mall, which has daily foot traffic of 14,000

people.

The effort is led by Crenshaw Health Partners

President Dr. Brownell Payne and Director of

Education and Enrollment Center Manager

Dr. Charles Loeb. The enrollment center is

open every day, providing health insurance

enrollment for the community year-round.

Since its opening, hundreds of people have

taken advantage of the free, in-person

assistance.

Operators of the Crenshaw Healthcare

Enrollment Center offered advice to Covered

California partners entering similar business

ventures:

1. Business 101: Create a solid business plan.

2. Define your organization: Develop an effective mission statement and live by it.

3. Location, location, location: Choose a location that has built-in foot traffic.

4. Back to basics: Be friendly and engaging with clientele.

5. Resources: Simply put, “If you don’t have it, don’t spend it.”

6. Staffing matters: Employees should be knowledgeable, diverse and bilingual.

7. Learning never stops: Conduct ongoing training sessions and refresher courses.

8. Community presence: Participate in events outside the center.

9. Increase visibility: Include marketing and public relations in your strategy to raise awareness.

10. Have a heart: During the ups and downs, glitches or hiccups, remember the cause. “Whatever

the question, love is the answer,” said Payne.

Loeb added, “As a physician, I’ve delivered thousands of babies, yet this is the most valuable

thing I’ve done. It has made the biggest difference in my community. This is God’s work.”

COV E R E D C A L I F O R N I A S TO R E F R O N T S Shoes, Desserts, Vitamins and … Health Care?

HaveMedi-Cal? You don’t need to renew until you hearfrom Medi-Cal about your next steps.

Crenshaw Health Partners President Dr. Brownell Payne (left) with Dr. Charles Loeb, Director of Education and Enrollment Center Manager at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw store.

DON’T FORGETIf your consumers are enrolled in or are eligible for Medi-Cal, enrollment continues year-round. Medi-Cal will send them information about renewing.


Simon Chew is a household name within Chinese-American

communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. He started his insurance

business 25 years ago, and he and his six trusted insurance advisers

have helped thousands of families obtain health insurance through

Covered California.

Agents from Chew’s eHealth-Plans Inc. — located in San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Fremont and online at www.simon888.com — were among Covered California’s top-producing Certified Insurance Agents in the state during the first open-enrollment period. Covered California recently sat down with Chew and asked him to share some of the secrets to his success.

Once they understand that, they are pretty

open to ways to protect their assets.

Q. Is there a different approach enrollers should be making while targeting Asian communities?

A. Speaking from my own personal

experience, Chinese communities like to

enroll face to face. We set up seminars so they

are able to meet my team and me in person.

It’s extremely important to build that trust.

Once we meet in person, then we are able to

establish that physical commitment. Maybe

it is a cultural thing. I have four offices where

clients are able to walk in at any time during

our business hours. My clients know that I’m

here to stay. They know where to find me and

my advisers.

ACE ♠ AGENT: Simon Chew

Q. You’ve been in this business long enough to know what works and what doesn’t work. What’s your top tip for Covered California enrollers — Certified Enrollment Counselors (CECs) and Certified Insurance Agents — to help them reach target populations?

A. Be present in your community. Host

seminars — large and small. Make sure

people know you are there to answer

questions. Get to know your community and

the people you are trying to reach. The idea

of “health care for all” is still relatively new.

Over the years, I’ve learned to work with

Chinese media outlets to reach the Chinese

communities, educating families on the

financial impact of not having insurance. Most

people have assets they want to protect.

Q. What are you doing differently during the 2015 open-enrollment period?

A. We’d love to do more enrollment events

with local grantees and CECs. Agents and

counselors bring different skill sets and

knowledge to the table. The only way we are

able to succeed in getting coverage for all

in California is if we — agents and CECs —

work together. I want to do more events with

San Francisco Bay Area Navigators. This is

absolutely essential this time around. We need

to work together to approach and engage the

hard-to-reach populations.

Covered California has upgraded its website

to make the consumer experience both

easier and more intuitive. Enrollees will find

CoveredCA.com and the California Healthcare

Eligibility, Enrollment and Retention System

(CalHEERS) application portal now have a

unified look.

The new CoveredCA.com website design

includes an updated top navigation bar and

bottom page content that are consistent on

every page throughout the website, including

the pages within the CalHEERS application.

The redesign also allows consumers to

navigate back and forth between

CoveredCA.com and the CalHEERS portal

so that enrollees can find answers to health

insurance questions while applying.

In addition, to meet high consumer demand,

Covered California spent $22.6 million to

upgrade the enrollment portal infrastructure to

allow more consumers to access the website

without delays or performance issues. The

improvement allows for speedier page loads so

that consumers do not have to return later to

complete their application.

New to the CoveredCA.com website are home

page sliders. These clickable informational

slides take users directly to a page where

they can take action, such as enrolling or

renewing, or they will be able to read additional

information to help them apply or use their

coverage. Consumers now can start applying

from any page of the website.

Redesigned Website for CoveredCA.com

Baron reported that since the Patient

Protection and Affordable Care Act took effect,

school districts within Solano County have

seen insurance coverage jump to 80 percent

to 90 percent among children 18 and younger.

“That’s an impressive coverage rate,” said

SCBH veteran counselor Maria Rios, noting

that approximately 91 percent of preschool,

elementary and high school students

with sufficient information. As enrollment

counselors, we need to stay positive, be patient

and be persistent. It takes time to break down

barriers, but we’ll get there.”

The SCBH counselors said they are ready

to “make history again” and have ambitious

plans for Covered California’s 2015 open-

enrollment period. These plans include:

increasing outreach efforts to local faith-based

Solano Coalition for Better Health (SCBH,

online at www.solanocoalition.org) operates

and thrives under the belief that healthy

people build a more productive community.

With that mindset going into the first open-

enrollment period, SCBH’s eight Certified

Enrollment Counselors worked diligently in

Solano County to enroll 500 consumers into

Covered California health insurance plans and

more than 1,000 additional people into the

expanded Medi-Cal program. By the end of

the enrollment period, SCBH ranked among

Covered California’s top 50 high-performing

Certified Enrollment Entities.

“We love what we do, because at the end of

the day, we are providing a sense of security,”

explained SCBH Certified Enrollment

Counselor Shai Baron.

“There’s definitely a sense of satisfaction

knowing that you’ve made a difference,” added

another counselor, Luis Reynoso.

Solano Coalition for Better Health, Making a Difference8 Community Partner Newsletter Nov.-Dec. 2014

“People are motivated to increase their quality of life, and they are getting covered.”

in Vacaville now have health insurance.

Compared with a 60 percent to 70 percent

student health coverage rate during previous

years, the SCBH counselors believe it is evident

that the Affordable Care Act and Covered

California are working.

The counselors are also noticing more active

participation from parents in Solano County

since Covered California launched, and they

are seeing families actively involved in ensuring

their children have health coverage.

“That’s what we want!” exclaimed Rios. “People

are motivated to increase their quality of life,

and they are getting covered.”

SCBH has faced some obstacles, though, most

notably with enrollment of families with mixed-

immigration status.

“We have a large number of mixed-status

immigrant families in Solano County who are

afraid to provide lawful presence verifications

because of the implications it may cause [with

Immigration and Customs Enforcement],”

Rios said. She continued, “These mixed-status

immigrant families are harder to reach. We

really need to educate them and provide them

organizations and colleges in an effort to enroll

more families and millennials, and partnering

with the Mexican Consulate’s mobile services

to better reach Spanish-speaking communities

in Solano County. In addition, SCBH will also

use its offices as a storefront enrollment

location and will be extending office hours

during weekends and evenings to provide

enhanced services to consumers.

The SCBH counselors said a little bit of

patience and optimism goes a long way

during enrollment periods. They keep binders

of their success stories to remind themselves

of the difference they’ve made and the lives

they’ve changed.

Reynoso shared a story of a woman who lost

her husband unexpectedly and came to the

SCBH office with her children two weeks after

his death. “It was really sad,” he recalled. For

the next couple of hours, Reynoso sat with her

and sensitively helped her select health plans

to cover her entire family. At the end of this

appointment, the woman managed a thankful

smile. “She was still sad, but she smiled,”

Reynoso said. “I made a difference that day —

one family, one person at a time.”

Fatima Bustos, a health access specialist from Solano Coalition for Better Health, during a recent tabling event at Solano College in Fairfield, Calif.

@CoveredCA

CoveredCA.comEnroll by February 15, 2015

“That solution saved my life. It gave me a new lease on life.”


Fresno Resident Says Covered California Saved Her LifeLast January, 59-year-old Diana Parret thought

something might be wrong with her health, because

she was having a gynecological problem. She’d lost her

health insurance the month before, when she was laid

off from her job, and now she couldn’t afford to go to

the doctor.

While taking her mother to an appointment at Kaiser

Permanente in Fresno that January, she stopped at a

Covered California kiosk at the hospital and spoke with

a Certified Educator who encouraged her to enroll

in a subsidized health plan. The following month, Parret picked a Kaiser Permanente Silver plan

with a $207 monthly premium. She paid her first premium at the end of February and had her first

doctor’s appointment on March 3, 2014.

ABOUT COVERED CALIFORNIACovered California is the state’s marketplace for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. Covered California helps individuals determine whether they are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits. Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the governor and the Legislature. For more information about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.

CONTACT US:

CoveredCA.com

(800) 300-1506

2014 Open Enrollment Bus Tour(tentative schedule)

Mon., Nov. 10 Sacramento, Petaluma, San Francisco and

San Jose

Tues., Nov. 11 Gilroy, Fresno, Bakersfield

Wed., Nov. 12 Pasadena, Riverside, Palm Springs,

Moreno Valley

Thurs., Nov. 13 San Diego, Santa Ana,

downtown Los Angeles

Fri., Nov. 14 Los Angeles

Sat., Nov. 15 San Bernardino, Anaheim, Santa Ana,

Carson, Los Angeles

Sun., Nov. 16 Los Angeles (churches/faith-based)

Mon., Nov. 17 Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles,

Salinas

Tues., Nov. 18 Yuba City/Marysville, Chico, Redding

CoveredCA.comEnroll by February 15, 2015

@CoveredCA

“The subsidy was a godsend,” exclaimed Parret.

Soon after her appointment, her doctor called and said she had a “nasty, fast-growing, aggressive

uterine cancer.” The doctor wanted her to take care of it right away. Parret had surgery in early

April 2014 and is now recovering well.

She said she loves Covered California and is helping spread the word about affordable health care.

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me. It is a gift,” she said. “I had a problem, but I had a

solution. That solution saved my life. It gave me another opportunity. It gave me a new lease

on life.”

To make her even happier, Parret has just learned that her premium is going down in 2015.

“I’m an advocate of Covered California. This has been wonderful for me. The plan was affordable. If

I didn’t have this, I would be upside down physically and upside down financially. This was a gift!”

G E T C O V E R E D

Open Enrollment 2015NOV. 15, 2014 – FEB. 15, 2015

Open Enrollment is the ONE TIME during the year when most Californians who need insurance cannot be denied by a health plan and when millions can get subsidized health insurance for the upcoming year. (Individuals who have limited income may enroll in Medi-Cal year-round.)

15JAN

15FEB

15OCT20142015 2015

15NOV

15DEC

15JAN

15FEB

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Open Enrollment starts Nov. 15 and continues through Feb. 15 and offers all individuals — sick or healthy — the opportunity to get the health coverage and care they need. In California, coverage is offered through Covered California at CoveredCA.com, the state marketplace. If you do not want a subsidy, buy directly from a health plan.

Health insurance can be complicated. Consumers can seek free, confidential assistance from more than 28,000 individuals in California who stand ready to help them enroll or by visiting CoveredCA.com. Click on “Find Local Help” to search for a Certified Insurance Agent, Certified Enrollment Counselor or county eligibility worker.

The new Covered California website offers interactive shopping tools that allow individuals to pick a plan that is right for them. Consumers can shop and compare their options based on their age, where they live, their household income and number of people in their household. These factors determine their premium and amount of any subsidy they may receive.

Covered California offers a range of choices of private health insurance plans. Consumers can choose the health plan and level of coverage that best meets their needs and budget. At Covered California and in the individual market, consumers can compare based on standard benefit designs and know that all essential health benefits are covered.

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