This past Monday marked the fifth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a significant milestone and excellent opportunity to assess the impact this historic law has had on the health of California’s families and children. Our state has led the way in implementing the reforms included in the ACA, which has helped provide health coverage to more families than ever. The uninsured rate for all Californians fell by as much as 60 percent, and we can proudly say that 93 percent of kids in California are insured.
Through the state’s health exchange, Covered California, the State is insuring more than1.8 million individuals, an estimated 101,000 of whom are children. The State also expanded Medi-Cal eligibility to more adults, resulting in 2.7 million additional enrollees. In addition, California provided state-funded Medi-Cal to individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. In the last two years alone, California enrollednearly 1 million young people in Medi-Cal. Along with other reforms, Medi-Cal now covers more than half of all children in the state.
Thanks to the ACA, Californians and millions of individuals across the country benefit from an improved health care system. Those with preexisting conditions can no longer be denied coverage due to their health. The lifetime limit on health coverage has been eliminated, meaning that those with chronic conditions or in need of costly treatment will be able to continue to reap the benefits of health coverage no matter the cost. And young adults under 26 can stay on their parents’ insurance, providing an important bridge as younger Americans transition to adulthood. Health coverage now works better for Californians.
While we’ve accomplished so much together in the last five years, our work to cover all families is not done. Many families who are eligible for coverage do not understand how to enroll; there is much work to be done in educating them about their health coverage options and helping them enroll into coverage. Additionally, certain undocumented immigrants remain ineligible for coverage through Medi-Cal or Covered California, and, as a result, an estimated 170,000 California children remain uninsured due to their immigration status.
All California children deserve a healthy start in life, and our state is stronger when everyone has access to health care, including our immigrant children and families. We hope that the current injunction against President Obama’s Immigration Executive Action is lifted so that California can continue progress on this front and that the state will continue to lead the way by passing SB 4 (Health4All), which would provide affordable coverage to all Californians regardless of immigration status.
With these eligibility barriers removed and strong community education and outreach, California can make tremendous progress toward reaching our goal of providing affordable health coverage to all. With determination, we hope to soon celebrate another important milestone: 100 percent coverage for all families.
Photos below from a Affordable Care Act 5 year anniversary celebration with our partners in Los Angeles: Health Access, Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, California Partnership, Children Now, Children’s Defense Fund-California, California Immigrant Policy Center, Young Invincibles, and more.
For the very first time, pediatric dental coverage is included in all health plans offered through Covered California—California’s Health Benefit Exchange. This is very good news for California families and one that TCP focused on achieving last year. And all children enrolled in Medi-Cal also have dental coverage. Now that more than half of all children in California are enrolled in either Medi-Cal or a Covered California health plan and because many children may have dental coverage through their parents’ employer-based coverage, most children in California have coverage for dental care.
However, many families may not realize that their children have dental coverage or how to access dental care. To help families navigate their children’s dental coverage in Covered California and Medi-Cal, The Children’s Partnership created fact sheets, available in both English and Spanish. There are three fact sheets to address the differences in Medi-Cal dental coverage in Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, and the rest of the state. And, to our partners and friends, we encourage you to share with anyone in your network who works with families.
Share the below social media images with this message:
Kids in Medi-Cal and Covered CA health plans have dental coverage. Spread the word with @KidsPartnership fact sheets: http://bit.ly/1AadOLt.
With less than two weeks to go before the February 15 Covered California Open Enrollment deadline, ALL IN For Health has ramped up its efforts to reach as many families as possible through schools, early learning and care, and after-school sites.
On Saturday, January 24, we kicked off a 22-day statewide campaign to connect families to coverage. In partnership with Montebello and Natomas Unified School Districts, we hosted Day of Action health coverage information and enrollment events. Over seventy families enrolled in affordable coverage with the help of Certified Enrollment Counselors and even more learned about their health coverage options through Covered California and Medi-Cal. Every family that enrolled helped grow the number of California kids who have the opportunities that a healthy upbringing affords.
At Natomas High School, the Executive Director of Covered California, Peter Lee, stopped by to relay his enthusiasm that schools are spreading the word that health coverage is now within reach.
In Montebello, local Assemblymember Cristina Garcia stopped by to show her commitment to expanding health coverage in her community.
And our partners at LA Care presented lively educational skits on how to take advantage of health coverage.
With the February 15 deadline fast approaching, now is the time to spread the word about applying for health coverage. Schools across California know that healthy kids make better learners. That is why they are taking action for the health of their students by sending out eBlasts, making robocalls, and distributing enrollment information. And with several more events planned, you can even get out and learn more yourself with the help of Certified Enrollment Counselors.
Learn more and get involved at http://www.allinforhealth.org/dayofaction.
Continuing the Momentum for Kids in 2015
With enactment of Virtual Dental Home legislation in 2014, we will be working with our partners to ensure that this innovation is implemented in a way that best reaches underserved children with needed dental care in schools and Head Starts in their communities. In addition, now that all children enrolled in Medi-Cal and Covered California are enrolled in dental coverage, we are working hard to make sure those families actually know that their children have this coverage, know how to use it, and can find dentists to take care of their children.
Finally, we are closer than ever in our work with partners to ”standing up” local electronic care coordination pilots for young people in foster care. And we continue to be the only children’s voice in promoting the use of telehealth and related technologies to bring health care to children in underserved communities, addressing transportation and other barriers families face in getting needed care.
This is just some of what we have in store in the year to come. Please take a look at our 2015 California Policy Agenda and Federal Policy Agenda to see all that we are doing. We look forward to working with you in 2015.
We Are ALL IN for Open Enrollment
We are a few weeks into the open enrollment season and TCP’s ALL IN For Health Campaign is working overtime to make sure schools and early learning centers have the materials they need to help uninsured children and families enroll or renew their enrollment in affordable health coverage. Open Enrollment for Covered California runs until February 15, 2015. This is an opportunity for individuals without health coverage to shop and sign up for health plans through Covered California. They may also be eligible for Medi-Cal, which families can enroll in all year long. Individuals can sign up for both programs at www.coveredca.com.
We developed an infographic to help families enroll in just a few easy steps.
Infographic: Easy Steps to Enroll in Health Coverage (Spanish)
We also worked with partners to develop English and Spanish family flyer, school flyer, and bookmark for schools to share with families. In addition to downloading these materials, you can order them here.
Besides Open Enrollment for new coverage, it’s also time to renew Covered California health plans. In October, Covered California started notifying individuals who signed up for health coverage last year about the need to renew their health coverage. Those enrolled in Medi-Cal will renew their coverage on the anniversary of the month they enrolled.
TCP’s ALL IN For Health Campaign works with partners—such as the California Department of Education, California School Boards Association, California School-Based Health Alliance, California Coverage and Health Initiatives, Covered California, The California Endowment’s Get Covered Campaign, and many others—to equip education leaders with the tools they need to educate families and individuals in the school, early learning, and after-school communities about health coverage opportunities and connect uninsured children, parents, and employees to health coverage.
Learn more: http://www.allinforhealth.org/.
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