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LULAC National is a Champion For Coverage

As open enrollment nears, LULAC urges councils to become Champions for Coverage. Champions for Coverage, a program launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), gives groups the opportunity to reach out to people to inform them of the benefits of the Health Insurance Marketplace and to get them enrolled.

LULAC through the Latinos Living Healthy Initiative has strived for years to close the gap Latinos face in various health disparities. Partnering with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a Champion for Coverage is a natural extension of our efforts to increase the amount of insured Latinos, one of the largest disparities Latinos face. We are delighted to join the HHS Champion for Coverage initiative and lend our voice to this cause. Here is a brief listing of some of the ways that we have been working with our community to educate people on the Affordable Care Act, the Health Insurance Marketplace (sometimes known as the Health Exchange) and Open Enrollment:

  • We have had numerous policy workshops at the LULAC National Convention and Legislative Conferences on the ACA, health exchanges and open enrollment since 2010. Secretary Sebelius spoke at LULAC’s National Convention in 2011. .
  • In collaboration with HHS, LULAC coordinated a Latino Health Summit in the White House in October of 2012, to address the various facets of the ACA and discuss how the Latino community would be impacted. Secretary Sebelius attended.
  • LULAC is hosting its fourth in a series of Ferias de Salud in Los Angeles in September 2013 where we will highlight health care, nutrition & physical exercise. We are partnering with local health agencies to provide information on CA health exchanges - Covered CA – to the community that will be attending the festival. We are expecting an attendance of 10,000 individuals.
  • We have coordinated a series of webinars for our members and leadership on the ACA, the Marketplace and the open enrollment. These webinars were coordinated as a way to educate our members on the basics of the ACA, open enrollment and the upcoming important dates, and they were carried out to encourage our members to take action themselves and/or educate others on the resources that are available.

    • Become a Champion for Coverage

    Councils can become champions for coverage by doing the following:
    1. Sending members or community partners to the official consumer sources to learn about the Marketplace and get coverage:
    2. Sending emails to your network about the Marketplace.
    3. Posting the HealthCare.gov and/or CuidadoDeSalud.gov widget on your council website.
    4. Hanging posters and/or giving out fact sheets and brochures about the Marketplace.
    5. Hosting a conference call, webinar, or another educational event about the Marketplace.
    6. Including a story about the Marketplace in your council newsletter or other publication.
    7. Recording and sending out a public service announcement about the Marketplace.
    8. Teaching council members about the Marketplace in educational sessions.
    9. Connecting partners/members through official Marketplace social media channels to share their stories:
    10. Providing space for enrollment sessions or fairs (ideally, with computers so people can check out the Marketplace online).
      11. If your council is interested in becoming a champion for coverage, visit http://marketplace.cms.gov/help-us/champion.html or email champion@cms.hhs.gov for more information!