Covered California bus tour to stop in Merced

Covered California officials launched a 21-city bus tour Monday, in an effort to promote the second open enrollment period that starts Saturday. The bus tour departed from Sacramento and is scheduled to make a stop in Merced on Tuesday.

The Covered California representatives, including Executive Director Peter V. Lee, will meet with local elected officials at the Healthy House Within A MATCH Coalition center, 301 W. 18th St. at 9 a.m. Together they will encourage uninsured Mercedians to obtain health coverage during the open enrollment period.

Candice Adam-Medefind, Healthy House’s director, hopes the tour’s stop in Merced will get the public’s attention and trigger enrollment momentum. The bus will make its way to Fresno after Merced.

The three-month window to sign up for health insurance or renew existing coverage will run from Saturday to Feb. 15, 2015. During the first enrollment period, about 1.2 million Californians signed up for coverage. Officials aim to increase that number to 1.7 million this time.

The nine-day tour will rally Covered California partners in key communities where residents who may be eligible for affordable health care coverage live. It will stop in Gilroy, Fresno, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, Chico and Redding, as well as stops in major cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.

The bus tour is an element of a $95 million community outreach campaign supported by federal grant funding provided for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in the second year.

Because the open enrollment period is shorter this time, officials urge people to start the enrollment and renewal process as soon as possible.

This story was originally published November 10, 2014 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Covered California bus tour to stop in Merced."