LOS ANGELES – Covered California released the November enrollment statistics on the health insurance marketplace during a news conference at The California Endowment headquarters in Los Angeles on Thursday, December 12.

Enrollment data in November showed more applicants than October, with 78,377 individuals enrolled in subsidized or unsubsidized coverage through Covered California and more than 108,000 individuals who are likely eligible for Medi-Cal in January 2014.

“This has been a phenomenal experience as Californians have expressed in words and actions their desire for affordable and quality health insurance coverage,” Covered California Executive Director Peter Lee said.

Numbers of applications and enrollments have been surging since the opening of Covered California’s enrollment on October 1, Lee added.

For the two-month period (October 1 to November 30), 109,296 individuals enrolled in Covered California health insurance plans and 179,000 applicants were determined to be eligible for Medi-Cal.

Director of California Department of Health Care Services Toby Douglas saw the significant improvement on health care coverage plans.

“We are very encouraged by the tremendous response, as more and more Californians learn about the health coverage available through Covered California and Medi-Cal,” he said.

Lee pointed out that December 23 is the deadline for individuals to enroll and be able to have individual health coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.

Open enrollment for Covered California continues until March 31, 2014.

Aside from self-enrollment online, individuals can also sign-up for Covered California in person, with the assistance of Certified Insurance Agents, Certified Enrollment Counselors and county eligibility workers.

As of December 7, through Covered California, 590,936 individuals completed their applications and 156,143 individuals are already enrolled in their health insurance selected plans.

(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek December 18-20, 2013 Sec A pg.1)