TITLE
Recommendation to authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all necessary agreements, and any subsequent amendments, between the City of Long Beach and the State of California Health Benefits Exchange (also known as “Covered California”) for the period of October 1, 2013, to facilitate enrollment and retention into the insurance programs offered through Covered California. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In 2010, the federal government enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which aims to increase the number of Americans with insurance and cut the overall costs of health care. Covered California was created by the State of California to develop an organized marketplace where eligible residents can buy health coverage. As of 2014, about 2.6 million Californians will qualify for federal financial assistance, and an additional 2.7 million who do not qualify for assistance will benefit from guaranteed coverage through Covered California or from an insurance company in the individual market.
Covered California will offer subsidized health care coverage in the form of premium assistance and cost-sharing reductions to individuals and families with incomes between 138 percent and 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines. Premium assistance and/or cost-sharing reductions will only be available to consumers in California through Covered California. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services' (Health Department's) participation in Covered California as a Certified Enrollment Entity (CEE) will provide access to care for many uninsured individuals in Long Beach. The percentage of uninsured Long Beach residents is estimated to be 22.3 percent, which is higher than the level for the State (18.5 percent). Health insurance coverage in Long Beach varies considerably with age, income level, education status, and ethnicity. The percentage of uninsured Long Beach residents is highest (30.7 percent) in the population who are between ...
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