Dr. Ruiz Urges Dedicated Assistance Hotline for Covered California Enrollment Counselors

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Palm Desert) sent a letter to Peter V. Lee, the Executive Director of Covered California, urging him to establish a dedicated assistance hotline for certified enrollment counselors (CEC). This letter comes after CECs reported an average wait time of 49 minutes on Covered California’s general customer care line when seeking clarification and expert assistance with individual applications.

In the letter, Dr. Ruiz wrote, “Certified enrollment counselors reported to me that in order to receive clarification or expert assistance with individual applications, they must call the Covered California general customer assistance hotline, which has an average wait time of 49 minutes.” Dr. Ruiz went on to write, “As more counselors become certified, and as outreach and enrollment efforts amplify and accelerate, it becomes even more important to provide the necessary support for our certified enrollment counselors…Therefore, I write to strongly advocate and ask that Covered California staff a dedicated assistance hotline for certified enrollment counselors.”

“As the Coachella Valley ACA Campaign Manager of 25 Certified Enrollment Counselor Navigators, our greatest challenge in the field is the need for immediate assistance from Covered CA when a more complex issue arises that a Navigator is unable to answer. Immediate assistant is critical in keeping the consumer engaged so as to result in successful enrollment,” said Samantha Prior, CV ACA Campaign Manager, Desert Healthcare Foundation.

"With the deadline for enrollment closing in, we need every advantage at this point to complete applications and answer questions as quickly as possible. This direct line will give us a much needed "real time" tool to help complete the process and provide the best customer service possible,” said Lenny Pepper, Vice President of Special Programs at Borrego Health.

Click here for full text of the letter.

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