SWITCH TO INSCRIBIR EL VALLE (en Espanol)

FOR ANY ENROLLMENT QUESTIONS, CALL THE COVERED CALIFORNIA HOTLINE: 800-300-1506

The new health care law is simple. It means expanding access to quality, affordable health care in the Valley. Visit www.coveredca.com to find coverage that meets your needs and fits your budget. Open enrollment began October 1st. Insurance coverage will begin in 2014.

THE NEW HEALTH CARE LAW BENEFITS THE VALLEY Most people in the new Health Insurance Marketplaces will pay the same or less than they do for their coverage now. This is because more than 80% of those buying coverage in the Marketplaces will qualify for premium tax credits, which will cut what an individual actually pays in premiums in many cases.

Your insurer cannot drop you when you get sick.

Your insurer can no longer impose a lifetime limit on your coverage.

Your insurer must allow your young children to stay on or join your insurance plan until they turn 26.

You have free coverage of key preventive services such as mammograms, colonoscopie and immunizations.

Your insurer cannot discriminate against you if you have or develop a pre-existing condition (Jan. 2014)

You are protected by a cap on your out-of-pocket costs.

Medicaid will expand to include adults up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level.



Rep. Tony Cárdenas is focused on making certain that every resident of the Valley has access to affordable health care. He has created this page to work alongside Covered California to help Enroll the Valley. You can follow his efforts on twitter:

Congressman Cárdenas has also had three short documents prepared with information and frequently asked questions about the new health care law:





SO WHAT ABOUT ME?

If you have insurance right now , your plan stays the same. This means if you get insurance through work, if you have Medicare or if you are a member of California Healthy Families, you keep that coverage.

If you don't have health insurance right now , you might be eligible for:

Covered California, the healthcare exchange in California, opened on October 1st throughout our state. Health care coverage begins on January 1, 2014. Millions of Americans will have the opportunity to purchase affordable, comprehensive health care that will allow them to get preventative checkups for free, to keep them healthy. It will cover pre-existing conditions to make certain that a simple medical problem doesn't become a serious one. Finally, it will do all this through private insurance policies with subsidies for those who cannot afford to pay their entire premium.

If you do not have health coverage by January 1, 2014, you will be required to purchase coverage (unless you fall into certain limited exceptions). For those who do not purchase coverage, there will be a tax penalty. The penalty will be the higher of:

Year per adult per child Family max % of taxable income 2014 $ 95 $ 47.50 $ 285 or 1 percent 2015 $ 325 $ 162.50 $ 975 or 2 percent 2016 $ 695 $ 347.50 $ 2085 or 2.5 percent

IF YOU ARE… THEN YOU QUALIFY FOR… An Individual making less than $15,415* Medi-Cal, a free government program. An individual making $15,415 to $27,935* You qualify for help in paying out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and co-pays. You also qualify for a tax credit that will lower the amount of your monthly premium.** An individual making $27,936 to $44,680* You qualify for a tax credit that will lower the amount of your monthly premium.** An individual making over $44,680 You do not qualify for government assistance but you are still eligible to buy health insurance through Covered California. A family of four making less than $31,810* Medi-Cal, a free government program. A family of four making $31,810 to $57,635* You qualify for help in paying out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and co-pays. You also qualify for a tax credit that will lower the amount of your monthly premium.** A family of four making $57,636 to $92,200* You qualify for a tax credit that will lower the amount of your monthly premium.** A family of four making over $92,200* You do not qualify for government assistance but you are still eligible to buy health insurance *Income levels are based on the year 2012

**You must enroll through Covered California to be eligible for your tax credit

If you want to get a sense of your eligibility, visit the "Covered California Shop and Compare Tool"

Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid health care program. This program pays for a variety of medical services for children and adults with limited income and resources. Medi-Cal is supported by federal and state taxes. This program is for people under the age of 65, including persons with disabilities, with income less than $15,856 for a single individual and $32,499 for a family of four. Coverage is free for those who qualify. If you qualify, you can easily apply for Medi-Cal right now.

HEALTHY FAMILIES

The Healthy Families Program is low cost insurance that provides health, dental and vision coverage to children who do not have insurance today and do not qualify for no-cost Medi-Cal. To learn more and check your eligibility, please visit the Healthy Families website.

For individuals and families, signing up for health care will be quick and easy. Starting on October 1, 2013, individuals and families who qualify, who do not have health insurance, began signing up for insurance and premium payment assistance through the Health Insurance Marketplaces. Let's look at how the Marketplaces function:

Covered California is the official Marketplace created by the State of California, to help you and your familiy get health care coverage to protect yourself and your loved ones. To learn more, visit Covered California's website: www.coveredca.com. You can also call 1-800-318-2596 to reach the HHS Helpline, with any questions you have about the new law, or the marketplaces.

PAYING FOR HEALTH INSURANCE

The Kaiser Family Foundation has developed a calculator that people can use to get a rough estimate of the level of premium tax credits they could be eligible for, to use in the new Health Insurance Marketplaces. Simply input the requested information and a new window will pop up with information on subsidies.

For those ineligible who do not have health insurance, but who are ineligible for federal assistance, the Valley has a number of community health centers that can help with your medical needs and provide preventive care:

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER ADDRESS PHONE # El Proyecto Del Barrio 8902 Woodman Avenue, Arleta CA 91331 (818)830-7033 Valley Community Clinic 6801 Coldwater Canyon Ave, North Hollywood. CA 91605 (818)763-8836 Mission City Community Network 9919 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Pacoima CA 91331 (818)895-3100 Northeast Valley Health Corporation 1172 N. Maclay Avenue, San Fernando, CA 91340 (818)365-8086

WHAT IF I RUN A SMALL BUSINESS?

The Small Business Majority also has a calculator to determine the amount of Small Business Health Care Tax Credit a business qualifies for:

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The tax credit is currently worth up to 35 percent of premium costs for a small business. That amount will rise to 50 percent in 2014. More than 300,000 small businesses have already used the tax credit to provide health insurance to more than two million workers.

For more information about the impact of the Affordable Care Act on your small businesses, visit the SHOP! The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) is a new program that simplifies the process of buying health insurance for your small business.

I'M A VETERAN, WHAT DOES THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT MEAN TO ME?

VA’s new website will let you know what the ACA means for you and your families.You can also call 1-877-222-VETS (8387) with any other questions. You should check the information above to make sure you know how to have family members sign up for the health insurance Marketplaces. There will be no change in benefit or out-of-pocket costs to those enrolled in the VA health care system.

Frequently Asked Questions for Veterans

HELPFUL LINKS

Important information about the Affordable Care Act and seniors from AARP

Full CoveredCA website

The official federal website explaining the Affordable Care Act: Healthcare.gov

Planned Parenthood has also created a website to help explain some of the basics of the new health care law.