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”) to accept funding in the amount of $225,267 for a nine month period from October 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015, to facilitate outreach, enrollment, and retention into the insurance programs offered through Covered California, with an option for a one-year renewal and cash bonus contingent upon achieving enrollment goals (Bonus Pool = $7,500 per 100 effectuated); and increase appropriations in the Health Fund (SR 130) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HE) by $225,267. (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 offers 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. The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) is a Covered California Certified Enrollment Entity and, since October 2013, has conducted outreach and education to over 5,000 individuals and completed over 2,500 Covered California applications. The funding is to be used to expand outreach, enrollment, and retention activities to populations that continu...
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