Think you can't afford health insurance? You actually might, says Covered California

Despite the heavy rain on Saturday, approximately 200 people attended a free mobile clinic in Rosemead.

Covered California and the Garfield Health Center partnered together to bring essential medical services like screening and vaccinations, but most importantly, it promoted and incentivized health coverage enrollment through Covered California, the state's free and public health insurance. 

Healthcare access and affordability are major challenges for many Californians, especially Latinos.

In 2023, the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) reported that roughly 3.2 million Californians lack access to comprehensive health insurance. 

According to a September 2023 report from the Census Bureau, 26 million people, or 7.9 percent of the United States population, were uninsured in 2022. The report states that although 41.6 percent of the population in that year were people of color, they accounted for 58.3 percent of the uninsured population, with the biggest group being Latinos, with 16.8% of them having no insurance at all. 

Jessica Altman, executive director of Covered CA, said more than 650,000 Southern California residents who are uninsured may be eligible for free or low-cost coverage through Covered CA. She also said that they expect to have 200,000 more enrollees in 2024.

Altman said that when it comes to Latinos with health insurance plans, the numbers must change. “We know that our Latino residents take up coverage at a lower rate than other Californians,” she said. “They're less likely to have coverage. And for us, that means all the more reason that we need to be reaching out to our Latino community members in all ways; working with local partners, getting the word out, and helping our Latino residents navigate what we know can be a really complicated healthcare system.”

Through Covered California, individuals can purchase different health plans, categorized by four tiers (bronx, silver, gold and platinum). The monthly payments of the insurance plan depend on the person's income, age, household size, and zip code. Open enrollment for Covered California began in the fall, and the last day for open enrollment is January 31. After that, Californians are only able to apply with  proof of a qualifying life event such as losing health insurance, child-birth, being released from jail, or experiencing a natural or human-caused disaster, among other reasons.

 According to Cover CA's official website, as the metal category increases in value, so does the percentage of medical expenses that a health plan covers compared with what you are expected to pay in co-pays and deductibles. “On average, platinum-level plans cover 90 percent of healthcare costs, and you pay 10 percent; gold plans cover 80 percent, while you pay 20 percent; silver plans cover 70 percent, while you pay 30 percent; and bronze plans cover 60 percent, while you pay 40 percent,” as stated on the website. 

The coverage plans in higher metal categories have higher monthly premiums, but patients pay less when they use and need medical care services. Alternatively, enrollees can also choose to pay lower monthly premiums and pay more when they need medical care.  

Altman said that contrary to popular belief, Covered CA is meant to be affordable, with many people qualifying for plans with a monthly cost of only $10 or less per month. “Every year we hear from consumers who've told us that they haven’t bothered to check because they assumed that it wouldn't be affordable. That's what we don't want to hear,” she said. “In many cases, it is incredibly affordable. There's no income limit for Covered California. It's just that the way our assistance works, the more you need, the more you get, depending on the income in your household.”

 Gabriela Chavolla has been a Covered California Enrollment Counselor for three years. “I've been able to help my Latino community by breaking the barriers that they face when getting Covered California or Medi-Cal services,” she told CALÒ News. “Oftentimes, Latinos are not familiar with the process and this role has allowed me to support them in that way.”

Chavolla was one of the many enrollment counselors at Saturday’s events and said her biggest hope is that the Latino community does not feel discouraged when wanting to seek health insurance. “All they need is proof of income. They also need to bring their proof of identification and proof of their address, proof of residency, and their birth certificate, along with those of their children, if they have any. If they have a social security number, we ask them to bring that in; if they don't have one, that's OK; we can still support them,” she said. 

Apart from applying to Covered CA, attendees were also able to receive flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, asthma screenings and high-blood pressure tests. “We're here at this mobile clinic at Garfield Health Center because we're committed that when you get covered in California, you should also get the care you need. Today, this clinic fair is where people are getting care and getting those preventive health services that are so important for knowing your health and staying healthy,” Altman said. 

Rosemead Councilmember Sandra Armenta was also present at Saturday’s event. Armenta, who was born and raised in Rosemead, said she is happy that her community can receive the care they need and take advantage of in-person clinics like that on Saturday.

Armenta said that Rosemead, Calif., which is made up of 30% Latinos, was severely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, something that the Garfield Health Center was able to alleviate with vaccinations. “People are here in the rain because they know how important it is to be registered and have health coverage. Health coverage is essential." 

 People can see whether they qualify for financial assistance and learn about their plan options at CoveredCA.com. To receive more information, individuals can also call 800-300-1506 to speak with an agent about enrollment.