State insurance commissioner visits to highlight health care options
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| California insurance commissioner Steve Poizner |
While in the rotunda of the trauma and critical care building, Poizner highlighted the non-profit Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE) and his sponsorship of Assembly Bill 23 (AB 23), which helps some laid off workers continue their health insurance. Phil Lebherz, executive director of the FHCE also joined the commissioner.
“There are so many people without health insurance in the Fresno region. The Central Valley’s unemployment rate is 60% higher than the state’s unemployment rate of 10.5%,” Poizner said.
In fiscal year 2007-2008, Community Medical Centers provided more than $137.1 million in uncompensated services to the medically underserved, equivalent to nearly 15% of its total expenses.
“Community is the region’s safety net,” said Jack Chubb, Community Regional’s CEO. “In the best of times, we take care of more uninsured and needy than all the area’s other hospitals combined.”
According to Lebherz, the FHCE’s mission is to help simplify public and private health insurance eligibility information and to assist workers who have been laid off in seeking government-sponsored health coverage.
“A lot of people don’t know these programs exist. What we are doing is making it easier for people in need to access all of their local and statewide options,” Lebherz said.
Assembly Bill 23 is bipartisan legislation that would allow laid off employees of small California businesses to apply for federal money to help them continue their health insurance. The legislation is co-authored by Assemblyman Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) and Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher (R-San Diego). The bill is currently in the legislature and must be signed by the governor before going into effect.
"The COBRA program is one of the easiest ways for people to continue their health coverage with the same doctors and same care after they are laid off, but often its cost keeps it out people’s reach,” Poizner said. "I'm proud to see all parties come together to allow all those who were laid off from small businesses to also participate in the federal subsidy and allow so many unemployed Californians to keep their health care coverage despite the nation's recession."
This story was reported by Jennifer Avila-Allen. She can be reached at javila@communitymedical.org.