Forget the Xbox One, Ugg boots or that "Keep calm and kill zombies" hoodie.
California officials are urging you to consider gifting that special young adult in your life something a bit less tangible: Obamacare.
Covered California, the state health insuranceexchange, on Thursday launched its "Give the Gift of Health" campaign aimed at families, principally mothers and grandmothers (for the latter, apparently a $5 bill no longer cuts it).
Officials estimate roughly 1.8 million residents aged 18 to 29 are eligible to obtain health insurance through the exchange or qualify for free or reduced Medi-Cal, the government program for the poor and disabled. About 2.6 million Californians - many of them under 30 - will qualify for a federal subsidy reducing their monthly premium.
The holiday campaign - Wednesday was the last night of Hanukkah - includes a website atCoveredCA.com/pledge, where one can "pledge" to cover the cost of insurance; e-cards containing information about covered options and tips for starting a discussion about the importance of getting insured.
Claire Lipschultz, the mother of two twenty-somethings, acknowledged parents can't force medical decisions on their adult children. But they can help get them affordable insurance, said Lipschultz, the state policy advocate for the National Council of Jewish Women-California.
"Young adults tend to think that nothing will harm them," she said. "Moms know you are healthy until you are not. So, be sure your loved ones are covered."
Editor's Note: Post updated at 3 p.m. to reflect the last day of Hanukkah.
PHOTO: Emanuel Jumatate of Chicago, hugs his new Xbox One after he purchased it at a Best Buy in Evanston, Ill on Nov. 22, 2013. Microsoft is billing the Xbox One, which includes an updated Kinect motion sensor, as an all-in-one entertainment system rather than just a gaming console. AP Photo/ Nam Y. Huh
No comments:
Post a Comment