BY TAM NGUYEN / Nguoi Viet 2
LOS ANGELES — An organization formed to help millions of Californians gain health insurance coverage beginning in January today announced it will award a $37 million grant to 48 partner organizations.
Groups receiving grant funds from Covered California will use the funds to conduct outreach and education programs beginning in 2014. In addition, 226 subcontracting health care groups are working with the partner organizations to help fulfill the mandate of the federal Patient Protection Program and Affordable Care Act.
“We are excited to build on our partnerships with organizations that have trusted relationships in diverse communities throughout the state,“ said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “Together, we can significantly strengthen our effort to ensure as many Californians as possible are aware of and are enrolled in the new health insurance options this fall for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2014.”
The organizations that were selected will reach close to 9 million people and more than 200,000 small businesses within 58 counties in California. It will focus on reaching out to 5.3 million Californians in need of health care, with about half of them qualifying for financial aid.
The grants will help to spread the word across California to small businesses and individuals about just how to sign up for the health-care coverage.
The grants will help organizations reach a variety of Caucasian and ethnic groups. In all, 19 grant-receiving organizations across the state will work with the Vietnamese population.
“We are excited by the many organizations who will receive financial support, but we are also excited at the level of interest and commitment demonstrated by hundreds of organizations who applied,” Lee said. “Whether or not they receive funding, we see an outpouring of interest from groups across the state who want to be part of increasing the health care coverage costs and ensure California’s divers population has fair and equal access quality health coverage.”
Covered California’s board has received $43 million in federal funding over a two-year period to help organizations reach all eligible Californians. So far, $34 million has been distributed to organizations focusing their outreach on consumers eligible for health care coverage through Covered California. An additional $3 million has been spent on small businesses that are eligible to provide for employees through the Small Business Health Options Program. Another $6 million still remains for outreach and education strategies in 2014.
Covered California is charged with creating a new insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get assess to health insurance. In 2014, Covered California will help state residents to compare available health-care plans. The federal government has funds available to help with the finances if the cost is too high for an individual, and small businesses will be able to purchase health plans for their employees.
