New Data Shows Importance of Targeted Outreach in Languages Other than English

On Wednesday July 16th, Covered California released self-reported data on the written and spoken languages of its enrollees in each of the 19 rating regions across the state. The new data reinforces the importance of reaching out to the remaining uninsured in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways (particularly in languages other than English) in order to ensure robust enrollment in 2015.

It is estimated that at least 40% of Californians eligible for subsidies in Covered California speak a language other English; however only 17% of enrollees statewide reported a language other than English as their preferred written or spoken language. These numbers vary greatly between regions. For example, close to half (47%) of enrollees in Region 13 (Mono, Imperial, and Inyo Counties) reported Spanish as their preferred written and spoken language. Similarly, around a third of enrollees in Kern County and Northern Los Angeles County (Regions 14 and 15, respecitvely) and roughly 1 in 4 enrollees in the Central Valley (Regions 10 and 11) reported a language other than English as their preferred written and spoken language.

The data includes regional break-outs for Spanish as well as the other Medi-Cal Managed Care threshold languages: English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Farsi, Tagalog, Cambodian, Russian, Arabic, Armenian, and Hmong.

There is an opportunity to improve outreach and enrollment in languages other than English. Covered California is planning to award up to $16.9 million in grants, including to community-based organizations, for enrollment assistance during the next enrollment period slated to start November 15, 2014. A portion of the funds will be awarded specifically for targeted outreach and enrollment of hard-to-reach populations including young adults and Limited English Proficient Californians. Covered California’s new language data highlights the importance of continued targeted funding for culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and enrollment of the remaining uninsured.

Visit Covered California's Open Enrollment Data Book for more detailed enrollee data.

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