Families in the Eastern Coachella Valley are invited to attend the WE Connect Health Care Enrollment and Resource Fair this Saturday, to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and to enroll in low-cost and no-cost plans through Covered California and Medi-Cal.
The info fair is scheduled 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 29 at Coachella Valley High School, 83800 Airport Boulevard in Thermal, event organizers said Thursday.
The free event "will bring together dozens of resources to one location, including medical screenings, financial planning resources, and help with enrollment into CalFresh, the food assistance program for low-income Californians," organizers said.
In addition, free frozen turkeys will be distributed to the first 300 attendees.
Here's more from event promoters:
The event is part of Building Healthy Communities Eastern Coachella Valley’s outreach strategy in a region that is heavily Latino, faces high levels of poverty and unemployment, and lacks health care services and resources. A quarter of all residents in Eastern Coachella Valley live below the poverty line with a per capita income of $7,000 annually. Additionally, 30,000 people in the Coachella Valley are eligible but not enrolled in Medi-Cal.
The event is co-sponsored by Covered California and The California Endowment's "Asegúrate" or "Get Covered" initiative, a statewide outreach and enrollment campaign targeting California's uninsured population, which is largely Latino.
To learn more about the event, or to see the list of materials participants must bring to enroll in health coverage plans, visit WeConnect.net.
About WE Connect
WE Connect, a program founded in 2005 by former First Lady of California Maria Shriver and now run by The California Endowment, empowers families in underserved communities to lead healthier and more financially secure lives by connecting them to resources such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, California’s Healthy Families Program and CalFresh. This nationwide campaign connects those eligible with the information and tools they need to access these valuable resources. The program has successfully resulted in helping millions of Californians through its community events, web-based tools, public-private partnerships, and publications. Through a partnership with La Opinión, the nation’s largest Spanish-speaking newspaper, WE Connect has developed four editions of a 24-page, full color, bilingual supplement that has been distributed to over 20 million Californians in need. For more information about the WE Connect program, please visit www.weconnect.net.
About Building Healthy Communities, Eastern Coachella Valley
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Building Healthy Communities Eastern Coachella Valley (BHC ECV) is a partnership between community members, non-profit organizations, and government agencies working together to improve the quality of life in the Eastern Coachella Valley. Health is more than just eating healthy. Health is more than what happens in a doctor's office. Health happens in communities when policies and systems make the healthy choice the easy choice. This is why the partners of BHC ECV have identified work priorities around improving their neighborhoods, changing their schools, and increasing prevention opportunities. Out of this work emerged the Prevention Action Team, a committed group of agencies and residents working to make health care accessible for everyone in Riverside County. Healthcare outreach and enrollment is only one step in our work to ensuring health access for all. For more information about how to join Building Healthy Communities, local organizations, agencies, and residents, please visit www.bhcecv.org
About Covered California
Covered California is the state's marketplace for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. With coverage starting in 2014, Covered California helps individuals determine whether they are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits. For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
About The California Endowment
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people's health. Through its ‘Health Happens Here’ campaign and ten-year initiative for Building Healthy Communities, The Endowment is creating places where children are healthy, safe and ready to learn. At its core, The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. For more information, visit The California Endowment’s homepage at www.calendow.org.
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