CHICAGO – Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) announced today a multi-state education and outreach campaign aimed at decreasing the number of uninsured and underinsured Americans. Be Covered is a community-based education effort to help people understand the benefits of insurance, identify their options and empower them to make informed, sound health care decisions for themselves and their families.
The campaign focuses on Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, where nearly 7 million people are uninsured, yet more than 60% qualify for Medicaid or are eligible for a federal insurance subsidy [1].
“Our goal with Be Covered is to improve the health of the communities we serve by helping the uninsured and underinsured understand their options and gain access to coverage,” said Maurice Smith, president, HCSC. “We have many decades of living and working in the communities we serve, and we see it as our responsibility to support our neighbors as they navigate the complexities of the health care system and barriers that may prevent them from getting covered.”
The Be Covered campaign works with diverse and trusted community partners, including civic associations, schools, places of worship, and community leaders to provide educational materials and other resources to help uninsured and underinsured individuals navigate the process of enrollment. Outreach activities include local events to engage the public about health insurance and preventive care, and to offer wellness screenings, family activities, and healthy food giveaways.
“We look forward to working together with the communities where we live and work to help improve the health and wellbeing of our friends, families and neighbors,” said Monica Berner, clinical officer, HCSC. “Through Be Covered, we aim to decrease the number of uninsured by expanding access to the necessary information for people to make informed decisions about their health care.”
Along with hosting community events throughout the open enrollment period, HCSC launched BeCovered.org, which provides a wide range of information about health insurance, wellness and how to enroll. The site features user-friendly, bilingual content including fact sheets and toolkits to help consumers understand their insurance options and what they need to do to prepare for the next enrollment period.
For more information, visit becovered.org.
[1] Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2018
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About Health Care Service Corporation
Health Care Service Corporation is the country’s largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall, with more than 16 million members in its health plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. A Mutual Legal Reserve Company, HCSC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information, please visit HCSC.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.