Medical groups to work with state’s insurance exchange to promote coverage among consumers
Medical groups are joining forces to promote health insurance coverage in California. The California Medical Association, along with various physician, hospital, and pharmaceutical groups, has partnered with Covered California, the state’s insurance exchange. Together, the groups will be encouraging consumers to enroll in the exchange and receive the insurance coverage that they need. The exchange’s open enrollment period began last month and will run through February 2015.
Covered California aims to enroll 500,000 people during current enrollment period
Approximately 100,000 physicians, pharmacists, and other health care professionals, as well as 400 hospital and medical groups, will spreading the world about the state’s insurance exchange. They will be using social media, display placards, and talking directly to their patients in order raise awareness. Covered California hopes to enroll at least 500,000 people during the current open enrollment period. During its first enrollment period, the exchange welcomed more than 1.3 million people. These people have received letters to remind them to renew their coverage through the exchange by December 15.
A lack of awareness may be keeping people away from insurance coverage
According to Covered California, there are still 3.2 million uninsured people in the state. Many of these people do not have coverage because they are worried about its financial burden. While insurance coverage through the exchange is not free in most cases, some people may be eligible for federal subsidies that can make coverage significantly less expensive. Others may be eligible for the state’s expanded Medicaid program, which will offer them the coverage they need. The problem, however, is that many people do not know about federal subsidies or their potentially eligibility for Medicaid.
New promotion campaign may lead to a surge in enrollment for Covered California
The medical groups working with Covered California may be able to help raise awareness among consumers more effectively than the exchange’s current marketing endeavors. If successful, the exchange may soon see a surge in enrollment as more consumers seek to purchase coverage through the state’s insurance exchange.