HHS has granted California conditional approval to establish Covered California, the state’s health-benefit exchange. The Fed’s approval is conditional on the state meeting regulatory and start-up benchmarks. Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California said that that state is making steady progress towards its October marketplace launch. Covered California has been working with private health care plans to offer quality health benefit products online for individuals and small businesses.
Consumers can begin using the Web portal on October 1, 2013 to select a health plan and determine if they qualify for federal subsidies to offset the cost of their premiums. In addition, consumers will be able to determine whether they’re eligible for other public insurance programs.
California has been working to establish a network of community-based assisters and a call center to help consumers with questions to make enrollment easier. There are also plans to launch marketing and education efforts to increase awareness for individuals and businesses, with special attention to California’s diverse populations. For more information, visithttp://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2013pres/01/20130103a.html
