The Time is Ticking to Get Covered

By Kyle Pongan. Sponsored by Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)


As the son of an an immigrant from the Philippines and growing up with both parents who are nurses, I get how important health care is. And I get how hard it is to afford health insurance coverage and how confusing it can be to even sign up.

The thing is, I've been a hair stylist and a musician since 2015, and neither profession offers health insurance coverage. All that changed with the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). Thanks to the law, I've been able to apply for and enroll in coverage at www.healthcare.gov, whether living in New York or now Philadelphia. For the past three years, I've had coverage that I can afford and count on. So no more crossing my fingers that I don't get sick.

I followed these steps to get covered:

#AAPIHealth Week of Action, January 18-22

Join the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders to help our community #GetCovered.



Starting next Tuesday, January 19, join the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and community groups for a week of action to help Asian American and Pacific Islanders across the country get covered through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Get involved in person and online to remind the AAPI community to take control of their #AAPIhealth and #GetCovered! The deadline to get covered is January 31, 2016. Visit HealthCare.gov, call 1-800-318-2596 for help in 150+ languages, and find help in your community through LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov.

Here are some more information on the week's events:

AAPI Affordable Care Act Enrollment Week of Action

Get covered through the Health Insurance Marketplace.



This week, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and U.S. Department of Health and Human Service launched the second Asian American and Pacific Islander Affordable Care Act Enrollment Week of Action, which aims to encourage AAPI individuals who have not enrolled for health insurance to learn more, get engaged and enroll in health coverage by February 15.

Throughout the week, Action for Health partners are holding enrollment events for AAPI families to learn about the Affordable Care Act and receive free, in-person assistance to enroll in health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This includes a Twitterstorm this Thursday, on National Youth Enrollment Day of Action, with special guest George Takei.

White House to honor "Champions of Change" for Affordable Care Act outreach to AAPIs

Recognition honors eleven community leaders' work to educate AAPIs about access to health care

This week, the White House and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services will honor eleven advocates and community leaders as "Champions of Change" for their work to educate Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders about the Affordable Care Act.

The event, to be held at the White House this Thursday, April 24, will celebrate the leadership, commitment, and hard work of navigators, consumer assisters, community health centers, and other individuals or organizations that have focused on ensuring that AAPIs fully benefit from health reform.

Some facts about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders and health care access: One in four Korean Americans is uninsured; nearly 40% of Asian American women over the age of 40 haven't had a routine mammogram; one in four Asian Americans over the age of 18 -- and one in three Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders -- have not seen a doctor in the last year.

Thursday's event will recognize outreach and education efforts to provide nearly two million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with quality, affordable health care. Here are the Champions of Change -- special shout out to my old friend Priscilla Huang, Policy Director for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum.

National AAPI Enrollment Week of Action Google+ Hangout

Wednesday, March 19 at 5:00pm ET

There are under two weeks left in the open enrollment period for individuals to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The deadline is March 31. Have you gotten covered yet?

Tomorrow afternoon, as part of AAAPI Enrollment Week of Action, the White House Initiative on AAPIs will host a Google+ Hangout with senior HHS officials and community leaders to answer questions from the public about the Affordable Care Act and why it matters to AAPIs. It's happening Wednesday, March 19 at 5:00pm ET.

Participants in the Hangout will include Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health, Meena Seshamani, Deputy Director in the Office of Health Reform, and other community leaders who will be answering your questions. Here are some more details:

#GetCovered: Health Care, Open Enrollment and AAPIs

Why is health care important to you?



Today's the day. As you may have heard, open enrollment for health care coverage under the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obamacare") begins today. What does this mean for our community?

First, here's a handy infographic, courtesy of our friend Karthick Ramakrishnan of AAPI Data, breaking down what the new health reform law means for two million uninsured Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders:

CAPAC Twitter Town Hall: Demystifying the ACA, September 25

Got questions about how the Affordable Care Act will affect you?



The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, will host a Twitter Town Hall on Wednesday, September 25 from 3:00-4:00 PM EST on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Got questions about how the Affordable Care Act will affect you? The Twitter conversation will include remarks from Congresswoman Judy Chu, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Mike Honda and Congressman Bobby Scott. Join in on the conversation by using the hashtag #AAPI_ACA.

Here are some more details about the Twitter Town Hall: