Dear Editor:
Re: "Online firms to help enroll people in Obamacare, but not in California”
L.A. Care Health Plan applauds Covered California for focusing Marketplace enrollment on community based organizations, hospitals, colleges and certified enrollers, as well as its own website, to help reach its goal of expanding coverage to more than two million people by the end of next year.
As one of six Qualified Health Plans in Los Angeles County, and the only community health plan, we certainly agree with the goal to enroll as many people as possible. That’s why we believe in a multi-pronged approach that includes the robust online capability Covered California already offers (with over 1.5 million unique visits to its website to date), as well as face-to-face and verbal contact with trusted sources.
It is human nature to trust those who you know – your family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and doctors – and with whom you share background, beliefs and language. That’s why effective enrollment must include such locations as schools, car washes, nail salons, grocery stores, community centers, churches and athletic fields and arenas. Over the coming months, an army of trusted sources already entrenched in our neighborhoods will complement Covered California’s online efforts to educate the public about the new Affordable Care Act health care coverage options.
Health care reform is complex enough as it is -- we see no need to further complicate things with additional online sales channels. At the end of the day, our goal must be simplifying choices and access.
Sincerely,
Howard A. Kahn
CEO
L.A. Care Health Plan
###