Where to go for health insurance sign-up help

Nov. 20--PLEASANTON -- Community agencies around Alameda and Contra Costa counties are working to help people enroll for health insurance through Covered California, whose open enrollment period started Nov. 1, 2015 and ends Jan. 31, 2016.

To sign up, going straight to the Covered California website is the most straightforward option. But for those who need help to navigate the process, "certified enrollers" are available throughout the region.

"Determining your family's eligibility is always a tricky process, and we can help people figure out how the rules apply to their unique situations," said Alex Garcia, community relations coordinator for Pleasanton-based Axis Community Health.

Axis is one of more than 200 California State Insurance Exchange certified enrollers within 30 miles of central Contra Costa County listed on Covered California's website; that territory includes most of Alameda County, plus part of Solano County (including several enrollers in Vallejo).

Since Nov. 1, Axis has helped 25 Tri-Valley residents complete Covered California applications (and 50 Medi-Cal applications) and aided about 60 others with questions or other guidance.

With clinics in Livermore and Pleasanton, Axis provides medical and mental health care services, and the connections needed to get care beyond its walls. Its Enrollment Services Department staff has helped residents of the Tri-Valley understand and navigate the enrollment process for Medi-Cal, Medicare, HealthPAC and Healthy Families, and is now doing the same for Obamacare.

Some enrollers only accept clients who already are receiving services through other agencies, but many accept walk-ins, though they generally require an appointment. Most also work through the vagaries of Medi-Cal, Medicare and other social insurance programs. Under Covered California rules, none of its nonprofit partners can charge for assistance services.

It is possible to enroll for health insurance simply by going to the Covered California website (www.coveredca.com/). But Grisel Reyes, who helps clients enroll for insurance for Brighter Beginnings in Bay Point, said that isn't always an easy process.

"My experience is that the system itself can be challenging, and that people get frustrated because they can't always reach a live person," said Reyes, fiscal education coordinator for Brighter Beginnings, which offers most of its services in Antioch. Reyes' dozen or so personal clients have all come from referrals through SparkPoint, an agency with nine Bay Area locations that provides financial education for families having trouble making ends meet.

Garcia said Axis' staff members have heard from a handful of people whose health care plans either were dropped from Affordable Care Act/Covered California or were never available through it. For some people, the cost for the same coverage outside of Covered California can be hundreds of dollars a year more than a similar plan within Obamacare.

"We can help them look at plan options with other providers," he said.

Garcia said one of the most frequent questions he has heard so far is, "How can I pay less for health insurance?" -- especially when people are disappointed with the price of their first-choice plan.

"I usually recommend that they return to the (Covered California) website and shop around, really evaluate the options," Garcia said.

Contact Sam Richards at 925-943-8241. Follow him at Twitter.com/samrichardsWC

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