Even if people don't speak the same language, they will get the same access to health care.
That's at least if insurance agent Michael Bergstrom has anything to do with it.
A Covered California enrollment center in Escondido is opening up lines of communication for ethnic minorities, especially Latinos, who didn't enroll in large numbers last year.
“We know that there are still over a million people in California who qualify for subsidized care who have not signed up for insurance. Over 600,000 of those are Latino,” said 80th District Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez.
“Not only because there's language barriers, but because there's cultural barriers to having insurance and what it does and how it works and the necessity to have it," said Bergstrom, a specialist with Covered California.
Many minorities are concerned health care costs too much and signing up may get their family members who don't have legal status in trouble with immigration.
“The agencies don’t interact with Covered California, but there is still concern about it," Bergstrom clarified.
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Covered California hired 200 call center employees who speak other languages and launched easy to understand ads, hoping to reduce cultural concerns and increase health care for those who may need it most.
“It has a positive feeling at the end of the day to say that these people are covered and they can have care that is affordable for them,” Bergstrom said.
Enrollment ends Feb. 15. The open enrollment center in Escondido is planning a big outreach event on the last day.
