LOS ANGELES, July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Teaming up to reduce the ranks of the uninsured, L.A. Care Health Plan is launching HealthyRebates(SM), a unique health care premium subsidy program for consumers in Los Angeles County, with $5 million in funding from the Blue Shield of California (BSC) Foundation. This one-year program is open to low-income families and individuals who do not have access to employer-sponsored health coverage and have purchased an individual plan from any Knox-Keene licensed health plan. HealthyRebates is designed to reduce the uninsured population in Los Angeles County by assisting families that have made an investment in health coverage stay insured. The grant will help at least 18,000 consumers better afford health insurance.
“When the Foundation came to us with the idea of HealthyRebates, we became very excited about its potential,” said Howard Kahn, CEO of L.A. Care Health Plan. “Providing financial relief to these struggling families who recognize the value of health coverage, and helping them maintain coverage, is a concept we wanted to test.”
“With healthcare costs skyrocketing, many low-income Californians need some assistance to pay their insurance premiums,” said Bruce Bodaken, Chairman & CEO of Blue Shield of California. “HealthyRebates will help them stay insured.”
Here’s how HealthyRebates works: qualified individuals and households can receive $20 per covered person, per month (up to $100 a month or up to $1,200 a year) toward the cost of insurance for any licensed individual health plan (not just Blue Shield). To be eligible, consumers must be residents of Los Angeles County, have purchased and maintained their insurance for at least three months prior to applying, and have a monthly income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (approximately $37,700 annually for a family of four). Participants cannot be eligible or enrolled in any government-sponsored health insurance programs, such as Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. Licensed health plans in Los Angeles County offering individual plans that qualify are: Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente Inc., PacifiCare, UHP Healthcare, and Universal Care. Rebates are sent directly to the individuals on a quarterly basis. Applications are available through L.A. Care’s Enrollment Center at 1-866-LA-REBATES (1-866-527-3228) or the website, http://www.healthyrebates.org/.
HealthyRebates was developed conceptually by the BSC Foundation, which is spending more than $10 million on health care services for low-income residents of Los Angeles County. L.A. Care Health Plan, a leader in developing new programs through innovative coalitions and partnerships, used its expertise to create the guidelines, procedures, and administrative processes to make the HealthyRebates program work.
According to the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, 98,000 Los Angeles residents have purchased private insurance and meet the income guidelines for HealthyRebates. Los Angeles is also the epicenter of the state’s uninsured, with approximately two million residents lacking health insurance. While the program is initially launched for one year, BSC Foundation would like to continue to fund the program, based on successful evaluation results.
HealthyRebates underscores the commitment of both organizations to find new and innovative ways to expand access to health coverage for Californians. In addition to direct support for needy populations, the BSC Foundation and Mr. Bodaken have been aggressive advocates for state and federal legislation to achieve universal coverage based upon universal responsibility. L.A. Care is a co-convener of the Children’s Health Initiative of Greater Los Angeles, a coalition of more than 50 organizations that is committed to raising $112 million (of which over 80% has already been secured) to cover children through the age of 18 in Los Angeles County.
About L.A. Care Health Plan
L.A. Care Health Plan is a local public agency and health plan serving residents of Los Angeles County through a variety of programs including Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and Healthy Kids. With more than 750,000 enrolled members, L.A. Care is one of the largest health plans in California and is the nation’s largest public health plan. L.A. Care is a leader in developing new programs through innovative coalitions and partnerships designed to support public health, the safety net, and health insurance coverage for vulnerable populations. For more information, please visit L.A. Care’s Web site at http://www.lacare.org/.
About Blue Shield of California Foundation
Blue Shield of California Foundation was formed by Blue Shield of California, a not-for-profit corporation with more than 2.7 million members, 4,300 employees and 20 offices throughout California. Blue Shield of California Foundation provides charitable contributions and conducts research and support programs with an emphasis on domestic violence prevention, medical technology assessment and reducing the number of uninsured in California. The BSC Foundation supports every licensed private community clinic in Los Angeles, and has joined the Children’s Health Initiative of Greater Los Angeles as a major contributor.
For further information, please contact: Media, Andrea Van Hook of L.A. Care Health Plan, +1-213-694-1250, ext. 4142, avanhook@lacare.org; or Peggy Frank, +1-818-735-3591, pfrank@frankpr.com, for Blue Shield of California Foundation; or Elise Anderson of Blue Shield of California Foundation, +1-310-568-2866, elise.anderson@blueshieldca.com.
Blue Shield of California Foundation
CONTACT: Media, Andrea Van Hook of L.A. Care Health Plan,+1-213-694-1250, ext. 4142, avanhook@lacare.org; or Peggy Frank,+1-818-735-3591, pfrank@frankpr.com, for Blue Shield of California Foundation;or Elise Anderson of Blue Shield of California Foundation, +1-310-568-2866,elise.anderson@blueshieldca.com
Web site: http://www.healthyrebates.org/
Web site: http://www.lacare.org/
