By Rory O’Sullivan
Open Enrollment Bus Tour Stops in Riverside
This is the only time Californian’s will be able to enroll for health insurance through the exchange in 2015,” said Pepi Jackson, President of Riverside County Black Chamber of Commerce (RCBCC), who called the exchange a powerful change in the way healthcare is done in California. Jackson, along with RCBCC, has been selected by Covered California to train and hire counselors to help Californians sign up for health insurance through the exchange.
The online marketplace was created under The Affordable Care Act, last year to offer health coverage to all, regardless of employer coverage or pre-existing conditions.
“A person doesn’t have to wait until it’s an emergency to go to the hospital,” said Jackson. “People can qualify for a health plan that’s affordable.”
Nearly 1.2 million Californians have bought insurance through Covered California and nearly 6 in 10 previously uninsured Californians now report having coverage.
Evette Edwards, 53, of Claremont is one of those uninsured Californians who gained health coverage last year. Edwards, a small business owner, could not afford the surgery for her congestive heart failure.
“Covered California saved my life,” said Edwards.
Her mother and two of her aunts died from the disease before their 60th birthdays. Edwards, who owned a small restaurant and couldn’t afford the six figure surgery that would save her life, assumed she would share their fate.
Edwards said she had a hard time going from her bed to the bathroom but that she now has a new lease on life. She now has the energy to babysit her granddaughter and is considering opening another restaurant.
“I thank God,” said Edwards. “I’m living, I’m doing well.”
Jackson recommends people, even if they have insurance, take a look at the exchange to see if their health insurance plan is still right for them. Not everyone is taking full advantage of the subsidies offered through the Affordable Care Act.
According to Jackson 90% of people will qualify for federal subsidies up to $350 a month to make their health care more affordable. Those who have less than $16,200 in total household income annually may be eligible for health coverage at no cost through Medi-Cal.
Health experts also say, if anything in your life has changed this year – you gave birth or adopted a baby, got married or divorced, had a drop – or better yet, an increase – in income, you should contact Covered California.
Covered California is adding capacity to handle four times the volume of calls as last year and increasing the number of people on the phones and local counselors at no cost. Jackson said there are thousands of counselors throughout the state with hundreds in the Inland Region and nearly half speaking a second language.
Jackson said Covered California is working to make the process of choosing the right health coverage and signing up as smooth as possible.
Getting health coverage was not smooth for Moreno Valley resident Tyronne Hodges who along with his family lost his health insurance due to cutbacks at his wife’s job.
Hodges found out he had lost his health coverage in line at Kaiser Permanente in Moreno Valley picking up his high blood pressure medication. His normal $20 prescription had jumped to $650.
“Excuse me, I paid the money [his insurance premium], that’s how I found out I had been dropped.”
Hodges, 44, said he, his wife and their three children were dropped from his COBRA provider which is also through the state.
Hodges was denied coverage before because of his high blood pressure and decided to go through Covered California’s health insurance exchange to get coverage for himself and his family.
“We’re still waiting, we’re still in limbo.”
Hodges and his family have been without health coverage for 18 months.
“Everybody covered yeah right.”
Jackson has said Covered California has worked hard to resolve the problems in the initial roll out last year. That is one reason the RCBCC and organizations like it have been selected so consumers have the option to sit down with a counselor who can can walk them through the paperwork process.
Hodges filled out the paperwork twice and still couldn’t get the coverage he and his family needed.
Edwards on the other hand had a counselor walk her through the process.
Linda Wright walked Edwards through the process so she would get the plan for her at a cost she could afford.
“I want to make sure everyone can breath easy,” said Wright. “We’re literally saving lives.”
Those who are eligible for coverage and don’t have a valid exemption, will face a tax penalty. This year it is $325 per adult and $162.50 per child or 2 percent of your income, whichever is greater.
Covered California’s director Peter Lee said that the cost of health care is not in dollars and cents but in making Californians healthier. He said Covered California is giving a leg up to millions by making healthcare affordable.
Lee praised the work of RCBCC and other organizations around California for the work they have done.
“It’s about local communities here in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties coming together, “ said Lee.
Lee also said California is doing a much better job in getting people health care than the rest of the nation.