New Covered Cal push for Latinos

Covered California has unveiled a new statewide ad campaign that includes “an intensified” effort to sign up Spanish-speaking residents.

The state Obamacare operation has been under fire for a representationally small number of signups for those who have been identified as primarily Spanish-language speakers.

The 60-second Latino TV ad (video below), which rolls out this weekend, will be reinforced by Spanish-language direct mail pieces.

“Covered California’s direct mail campaign for Spanish-speaking households marks an intensified effort to reach out to the Latino community in California,” said Covered California chief Peter Lee, who has admitted the health insurance marketplace could have done better in enrolling Hispanic residents.

State Sen. Ed Hernandez, a key player in the state’s rollout of the Affordable Care Act, has said of the low Hispanic participation: “If it isn’t addressed, it is going to be a huge issue.”

Getting an accurate count of residents who sign up and speak primarily Spanish may prove difficult, since many are somewhat functional in English and/or may get help dealing with the enrollment process, thus not showing up on Covered California’s radar.

There is a new spot in English with the same information and an spokeswoman of color.

As of the end of November, about 5 percent of the state’s Obamacare signups for subsidized coverage were identified as Spanish-language speakers. Those who identify themselves as primarily Spanish speakers make up about 29 percent of the state population, however. Officials say Latinos represent about 46 percent of those eligible for financial assistance to purchase insurance through Covered California.

The new bilingual spots’ talking points include the “free” preventative services included with the individual health insurance policies sold by the Obamacare exchange. Many enrollees will qualify for government support, while others will not.

The Spanish-language paper application for policies sold by Covered California became available just before the start of the new year, apparently after the deadline for coverage beginning Jan. 1. Officials said they did not want to release an “application that was not ready”