Obamacare outreach in Latino community

“I think we need to be educated a bit more,” said Coachella resident Noelia Gonzalez.

Gonzalez doesn’t know what Obamacare is.

“I do not know very much but I’m hoping that it’s going to benefit somebody,” Gonzalez said.

Luckily, she’s insured. But her son isn’t.

“He’s a diabetic and he’s not covered under any plan. Because where he works they’re not obligated,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is like thousands of other Hispanics who just want to know the facts about the Affordable Care Act and how it will affect them.

That’s where certified health care advisors like Atay Ramirez come in.

“Right now there are about 4,000 certified agents in California that have gone through the training. There’s a handful here in Coachella that are going to be doing this outreach,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez wants Hispanics here in the U.S. to know there are resources to help them find a health care plan that fits their needs. One that won’t break the pocketbook.

“It’s what you can afford. so it’s not about one price fits for everybody. That’s the old way of looking at health insurance. The new way is based on your family income, your family size and your place of residence,” Ramirez said.

Between now and the end of enrollment, Ramirez and other agents from Cover California will be on hand at a series of outreach events. He warns of people that might take advantage of the uninformed.

“You want to ask for that certification number not to fall prey to people looking to make a quick buck: ‘Oh I’m going to enroll you, I’m going to do your application” and come to realize that they were never enrolled into any plan and they were charged for a service that was not provided,” Ramirez said.