Local

In a critical period of Obamacare outreach, will more black consumers take advantage of benefits available through the California healthcare exchange?

 By McKenzie Jackson, California Black Media

When Andre Andrews signed on to the Covered California website on February 7, he was in the midst of coping with a medical emergency.

A week before, Andrews had been the victim of a hit-and-run. The Burbank resident was walking his bike up the side of a street late one night, when he was suddenly struck by a passing motorist who never bothered to stop. The impact left him with missing teeth, lacerations to his face and an ambulance bill alone of over $1,000.

Uninsured since leaving a job in early January, Andrews has already paid $500 of the bill, but he now feels more secure because of his coverage eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, it is made available in this state through Covered California, which Andrews is confident will help him better manage medical expenses and aid with any future health problems he might experience.

“I never really go to the doctor, but I still need health insurance, especially since this happened,” said Andrews. “All these other healthcare insurance providers online are expensive.” For the 30-year-old, what he found through Covered California “is less expensive. I’m one of those guys that thought nothing would ever happen. But clearly it can. You don’t know what is going to happen.”

More than 11,000 black Californians, and potentially millions more across the United States, can identify with the peace of mind Andrews enjoys today as a result of Obamacare. Following a difficult rollout, there has been a surge of enrollments over the last two months; on January 25, the Obama administration announced that three million Americans had signed up for private health plans under the law, including 800,000 in the month of January alone.

California accounts for 625,000 of those enrollees, but thus far only 3.1 percent, or 11,153, are African-Americans, despite blacks being nearly seven percent of California’s population. That is compared with whites, who have accounted for 54.7 percent, or 199,186, of Obamacare enrollees, tops in the state.

Obamacare ensures that all Americans have access to affordable health insurance, by offering discounts or tax credits on health insurance plans and enlarging the Medicaid assistance program to include more individuals that can’t afford healthcare in their budgets.

A household with an income between one and four times the Federal Poverty Level is ideal for receiving the health insurance discounts. Despite common misperceptions, that only single mothers can qualify for healthcare assistance, for example, or that a family must be in a deep poverty to get help, even individuals who earn too much to qualify for discounts and tax credits are entitled to buy plans through Covered California.

In California and across the nation, individuals with Obamacare have benefits in 10 categories including ambulatory patient services, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment and prescription drugs. The health plan also helps cover rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management, and pediatric services such as dental and vision care.

Among those who have yet to enroll in a healthcare plan, despite the fact that he would almost certainly be eligible for coverage and/or subsidies, is 30-year-old Clint Thompson of Santa Monica. Thompson, who recently returned to California from New York City, is debating whether to enroll in a plan through Covered California, or try the insurance offered through his employer, a clothing retailer.

“I’m weighing the options of each,” said Thompson, “but I really haven’t looked as in-depth as I should.”

Thompson and others like him, those who remain on the fence about obtaining healthcare coverage, have until the March 31 open enrollment deadline to either enroll in a plan of some kind or be subject to a penalty.

Covered California this month launched an outreach campaign covering 21 counties across the state, Kern, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Clara and Ventura among them,  that includes opportunities for free enrollment assistance at libraries, community centers and other locations. Opportunities to enroll and information about outreach locations can be found on the website at www.coveredca.com.

Although online enrollment remains a viable and popular option, Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said many people are more comfortable with face-to-face discussion.

“Many people want to speak with an expert in person in their own language,” he said recently, “rather than over the phone or on the Internet when making such a personal decision about health insurance.”

Next week: As a Covered California deadline approaches, African-American consumers, healthcare experts and advocates assess the effectiveness of healthcare outreach to the black community.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA. – An array of departments at Cal State San Bernardino will host Military Appreciation Night at the Coyote men’s basketball game on Friday, February 21. Tailgate festivities begin at 4 p.m. on the west lawn of Recreational Sports and Fitness Center that will feature free food and military giveaways. The men’s basketball game against Sonoma State begins at 7:30 p.m. in Coussoulis Arena.

The event is co-hosted by CSUSB’s Alumni Association, Associated Students Inc., the Veterans Success Center, Recreational Sports and Fitness Center and the CSUSB Air Force and Army ROTC.  Active service members, military veterans and their families will receive free admission to the game. Contact Marci Daniels at the Veterans Success Center at 909-537-5195 for free tickets. Attendees are encouraged to wear military apparel or American-themed apparel.

The planners of the event have designed a program that will begin about eight minutes before tip-off time. The CSUSB Air Force-Army ROTC cadets will first present the colors. AF-ROTC cadet Carrera Allred will sing the National Anthem, while local high school cadets of Junior ROTC representing U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy unfurl a giant American flag.

Chaplain Captain David Sarmiento of the 163rd Reconnaissance Wing at March Air Reserve Base will say the invocation, while the CSUSB Student Veterans Organization will set up a battlefield cross in the middle of arena floor in memory of fallen veterans.

A 13-foot GI Johnny will join CSUSB mascots Cadee and Cody Coyote in cheering the crowd. An opportunity drawing will be held with raffle prizes drawn throughout the game. Proceeds from the raffle will supplement the CSUSB Veterans Success Initiative Scholarship Fund.

During half-time, 20 Wounded Warriors will be recognized, as well as a ceremonial swearing-in of about 40 future service members.  In addition, two contests will be disclosed during the break for fans to participate.

Sponsors for the event include Crest Chevrolet, Brills Shoes, The Mug Restaurant, Tello’s Tailors and Menswear and the Tossetti Family, all of San Bernardino. Other sponsors are U.S. Army Units B-Troop, 4-9 Cavalry and Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc., CSUSB Beta Kappa Chapter.

For more information, contact Marci Daniels at the CSUSB Student Veterans Center at 909-537-5195.

COLTON, CA – The Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Foundation will recognize five honorees at its Inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner on May 8. The event, which will be held at the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino, will benefit Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC).

The ARMC Foundation Gala Committee and members of the community were asked for nominations in five categories: Honorary Chair; Arrowhead of the Year; Physician of the Year; Partnership of the Year; and Philanthropist of the Year. The Gala’s nominating subcommittee based its selections on support for ARMC and the community.

The award winners for the Inaugural Gala are: County of San Bernardino Fifth District Supervisor, Josie Gonzales, Honorary Chair; Dr. Dev GnanaDev, Arrowhead of the Year; Dr. Steven M. Beutler, Physician of the Year; Professional Hospital Supply, Partnership of the Year; and Anne Hirschman Cress, Philanthropist of the Year.

“We selected the honorees for their hard work, dedication and commitment to ARMC now and in the past,” said Frank Reyes, executive director of the ARMC Foundation, which assists the hospital with funding for new equipment and programs. “This is the Foundation’s first Gala, so we wanted to ensure that whoever we selected has made a significant difference in the community.”

The award winners will be recognized at the Gala and receive a distinctive plaque. “The Gala’s theme, ‘What I love about ARMC,’ reflects the appreciation that the community has for the great care the hospital provides,” said Reyes. “The funds raised
from the Gala will help purchase much-needed equipment for the hospital.”

The Gala will feature keynote speaker Sam Cunningham, a former USC running back, who also played nine seasons in the NFL for the New England Patriots. Founded in 1977, the ARMC Foundation’s mission is to assist the Medical Center in providing quality health care and health education to our community by enlisting and increasing public and private interest, involvement and financial support.

For more information about the ARMC Foundation Inaugural Gala and Awards Dinner, call Event Coordinator, Patty Holohan, 909-518-4612, or email PSHoloha@aol.com. For more information about the ARMC Foundation, visit www.arrowheadmedcenter.org/foundation.

Peter Lee

WHO: Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown, 47^th AD; Peter Lee, executive director, Covered CA; Edith Lara-Trad, regional public information officer, Covered CA; and Trustee Joseph Williams, San Bernardino Community College District

WHAT: State and local officials will convene at San Bernardino Valley College to give a status report of the Covered California enrollment figures for San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. Additionally, state officials will announce upcoming efforts to promote Covered California throughout the Inland Empire.

WHERE: Business Conference Center at San Bernardino Valley College, 701 S. Mt. Vernon Avenue, San Bernardino.

WHEN: Friday, February 21, 2014 at 10 a.m.

Raul Mendiola

According to the LA Galaxy Insider, Raul Mendiola, was signed to the team to homegrown player contracts by Bruce Arena after the first two rounds of the Major League Soccer (MLS) Super Draft. The article also stated that there could be another signing in the near future will be Jose Villarreal, brother to Jamie Villarreal.

Mendiola has been a rumored signing for LA since last summer, and is known to be wanted by several foreign clubs. He’s a five star rated prospect by Top Drawer Soccer, and has experience at the youth levels of the US national team.

Source: LAG Confidential 

SAN BERNARDINO, CA- Assemblymember Cheryl R. Brown (D-San Bernardino) is proud to announce that she is running for re-election to the California State Assembly’s 47^thAssembly District. The 47^th Assembly District encompasses the cities of Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Rialto, the southwest parts of San Bernardino and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy. Her re-election campaign is set to launch on Sunday, February 16 at the Hampton Inn, 250 North 9th Street in Colton, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. During her first year in office, jobs, economic development, small business growth, education and public safety were among her top priorities. She also sponsored and supported various bills to promote economic development, spur small business growth, support student success and assist homeowners and veterans.

The California State Legislature approved four of her bills last year, two of them, AB 379 and 1094, becoming laws. AB 379 protects financing for manufactured home owners and AB 1094 increases CalWORKS benefits for veterans, allowing them to receive the financial assistance they need to care for their families.

Additionally, she hosted 16 community events that brought resources into the District, including a back to school giveaway, where she distributed 400 free backpacks to students in Bloomington and Muscoy; a green collar jobs fair; and a business summit to help small businesses gain access to resources to further their development. Assemblymember Brown has already won the pre-endorsement of the delegates from the California Democratic Party. To RSVP contact Ashley Jones at 909-645-3853.

Edith Lara-Trad, information officer at Covered California, welcomes representatives from Inland community groups to the first Covered California regional meeting at Loma Linda University Health.

LOMA LINDA, CA – Representatives of community groups working to enroll more San Bernardino County residents for affordable health insurance through Covered California kicked off their first regional meeting on Wednesday (Feb. 12) at Loma Linda University Health (LLUH).

About 40 people, representing dozens of community groups, stakeholders, health organizations, elected officials, and local health officials, took part in the gathering, hosted by LLUH.

“One of the objectives of the regional meeting is to focus on increasing partnerships and collaboration within the region, and to share lessons learned from the first weeks of enrollment,” said Edith Lara-Trad, information officer at Covered California, and the regional coordinator for the effort.

“It is about the people who are in dire need of health coverage. We have 47 days to continue mobilizing our efforts and enroll them now. One focus is to use in-person assistance to maximize enrollment,” she said.

LLUH, in partnership with Community Clinic Association of San Bernardino County, is one of 48 lead organizations that received grant awards totaling $37 million from Covered California to help residents access affordable health coverage.  Covered California is the state’s new health care insurance marketplace responsible for reaching out to 5.3 million Californians in need of individual insurance, many of whom may be eligible for financial assistance with the premiums.

“LLUH wants to ensure the residents of the Inland Empire are informed regarding the historic changes in our health care system and we are getting our residents the coverage they need to improve and maintain their health,” said Gerald Winslow, Ph.D., vice president for mission and culture at LLUH, and director of the Institute for Health Policy and Leadership, the organizational entity responsible for administering the grant.

The regional meeting provided opportunities for grantees, certified counselors, providers, community and health agencies, and elected officials to mingle and work in partnerships in existing enrollment events. Covered California partners and the health community have played an integral role to accomplish enrollment to many people thus far and Covered California is providing specific support to the community and partners to drive the regional effort.

Lara-Trad said the challenge is to encourage more people to enroll by March 31, which is the deadline for open enrollment and for obtaining premium assistance and guaranteed health coverage. She said, “We are focusing on key gaps. Latinos, African Americans, and other under-represented communities and young adults are especially targeted for enrollment.” More information is available at www.CoveredCA.com

Rosie Salazar, Covered California certified counselor at Inland Behavioral Health Services, attended the event because she wanted to expand her network and get ideas for getting more people to sign up for health insurance.

“We are in a community where we deal with many homeless and low-income people,” she said. “We do not want them to be left out of affordable health care.”

The members of Riverside
Alumni Chapter celebrate Founders Day at Clayton home.

On January 5, the brothers of the Riverside Alumni Chapter, Kappa Alpha Psi F?raternity, Inc., gathered at the home of Brother Larry Clayton to celebrate the 103rd year of the fraternity. Over 25 Brothers and their Silhouettes attended. The Loving Cup
was passed and provided a chance for Brothers initiated in 1956 through the 2013 Neophytes to rededicate themselves to achievement in every field of human endeavor.

Chapter Polemarch, Dr. Samuel Gibbs, sliced two cakes prepared for the occasion. Chapter Historian, Alvin Stephens, summed up the history of the chapter saying, “The March and Norton Air Force Bases were going strong in our history and Brothers would be stationed in and mustered out but we were successful in gaining great recognition in the community for our service projects.”

On the heels of this auspicious celebration, over 20 members of the chapter traveled on January 25 to co-sponsor the Los Angeles Metro Founders Day Event. Baseball great Brother Don Buford provided the keynote and encouraged all as he told of his path to achievement in the field of sports.

Audrey Matthews

SAN BERNARDINO, CA— The County of San Bernardino Workforce Investment Board, which oversees the use of federal dollars to train local job seekers and support employers, has announced the appointment of two new members and a vice chair.

The Board has named Audrey Mathews as interim Vice Chair. Mathews was honored in 2013 for more than 35 years of work in local and state governments as a professor, budget director, planning commissioner and consultant. She received the American Society for Public Administration’s Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition to serving on the Workforce Investment Board, Mathews works with the County’s Planning Commission and sits as a legislative advisor to the National Association of Workforce Boards, and the California Workforce Association.  She has written multiple workforce initiatives and testimony that was submitted to Senate and House subcommittees on workforce issues.

Audrey is CEO of Mathews and Associates, an organizational behavior and diversity management-consulting firm.  She will be Interim vice Chair until elections are held in March.

Dr. Dale Marsden, newly appointed member of the Board, is Superintendent of San Bernardino City Unified School District. He is well known for his work in engaging employers and community partners to help students graduate and pursue college and a successful career. With the Alliance for Education, a partnership between businesses and educators, he played an integral role in a national initiative, called STEAM, to ensure more students enter careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.  The father of four began his teaching career in 1985, working his way up to Superintendent of Victor Elementary School District before being appointed to his current role in 2012. He also served in the US Air Force, where he earned several awards.

Gary Watson, Deputy Director of the Employment Services Program (ESP) for the County of San Bernardino Transitional Assistance Department, was also appointed as a member of the Board.  The ESP helps clients receiving cash aid remove barriers to employment, develop self-esteem, and prepare to find and retain employment. Watson has more than 20 years of human services experience including programming, budget and operations to provide support to needy families in San Bernardino County.

“The San Bernardino County Workforce Investment Board has a national reputation for excellence due to the active leadership and team work of its members,” said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Rutherford. “These dedicated individuals, collectively representing business, government, and community organizations, bring their best to the table.”

The Workforce Investment Board partners with the County’s largest industry sectors to identify the needs of the workforce and employers and to support training programs that prepare residents to enter careers in growing industries.

“Our Workforce Investment Board has become a national model due to the efforts and creativity of our members,” said Sandy Harmsen, Executive Director of the Board. “Their decisions impact the lives of thousands of at-risk youth through our Workforce Investment Act Youth program as well as adults and veterans who find career and training opportunities through our three America’s Job Centers of California.”

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has completed its review of the fatal officer-involved incident involving Christopher Jordan Dorner, 33, of La Palma, on February 12, 2013.

Under the facts, circumstances and law applicable to this case, the use of deadly force and non-deadly force by law enforcement personnel was in response to an immediate threat of death and serious bodily injury to themselves and to members of the public posed by Christopher Dorner’s actions, and was therefore legally justified under the laws of self-defense, defense of others, and laws of arrest.

The report of the written case evaluation is available at www.sbcountyda.org by selecting Press Releases under the Newsroom tab at the top of the home page. The identities of the involved law enforcement officers are not included in this memo as a result of security concerns for the officers and their families.