Covered California Recognized for Efforts to Reach Diverse Ethnic Communities to Promote Insurance Coverage

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For the third time in four years, the prestigious Radio Mercury Awards honored Covered California for its creative marketing, this time for an ad titled “Muleta.” The Spanish-language radio spot, which used humor to inform consumers that they may eligible for financial assistance to help pay for quality health insurance coverage through Covered California, was named Best Creative Radio Spot in the Nongeneral Market category. 

“Covered California invests in marketing tailored to our state’s diversity,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “We appreciate this recognition for our efforts targeting the Latino community, but are even more grateful that we are helping people get the best ‘award’ for their families – affordable health care coverage.”

The ad begins with the announcer telling the audience that he has a special gift for those that seek exclusivity when they suffer a leg injury: a delicate piece carved from pinewood, with plenty of armpit support, and caps made of rubber. The announcer says “Muleta, la forma refinada de apoyarse,” which translates to “Crutch, the sophisticated way to lean.”

The announcer then informs the audience that health care is no longer an unattainable luxury that’s just for the elite, and with the new state subsidies, more financial help than ever before is available to help reduce their monthly payment. The spot aired during the most recent open-enrollment period on Pandora, iHeartRadio, Univision, Entravision and other digital platforms, as well as prominent Spanish-language radio stations in Los Angeles and the Riverside-San Bernardino area. Covered California estimates the ad was heard 55 million times.

The ad was produced by Casanova-McCann, a marketing subcontractor engaged by Covered California to work in partnership with prime contractor Campbell Ewald to reach broad audiences in California, including Spanish-speaking Latinos.

To hear the “Muleta” spot, visit the Radio Mercury Awards page at http://radiomercuryawards.com/2020Winners.cfm.

The Radio Mercury Awards were established in 1992 as “the only competition exclusively devoted to radio… to encourage and reward the development of effective and creative radio commercials.” The national competition - which honors the best in radio creativity from advertising agencies, production houses, radio stations and educational institutions across the country – describes itself as “the biggest, richest, creative competition for radio.”

In addition, PRNEWS recently named Covered California as a finalist for its 2020 Platinum PR Awards in the Multicultural Campaign category for its outreach efforts into diverse communities. As part of its outreach, Covered California produced and provided collateral specifically targeting African-American, diverse Asian and Pacific Islander and Latino communities through live events, hosted roundtables, interviews and articles.

“Connecting with the state’s diverse communities has been a part of Covered California’s mission since we first opened our doors,” Lee said. “The COVID-19 pandemic puts an appropriate spotlight on the troubling disparities in health care in California and across the country, we believe that we can help address those issues by effectively reaching out to enroll all Californians.”  

PRNEWS has been a valued resource for communications, marketing and public relations professionals for more than 75 years. The PRNEWS Platinum Awards recognize “the most imaginative messaging campaigns, exceptional communicators and top-notch teams in the PR space.” Entrants include U.S.-based and international public relations agencies, corporations, nonprofits, associations and government organizations worldwide and award winners set industry benchmarks for excellence across all areas of communications.

The full list of nominees is here and winners will be announced on Oct. 27.

Covered California is currently preparing for the upcoming open-enrollment period for the 2021 coverage year. Open enrollment will run from Nov. 1, 2020 through Jan. 31, 2021. Covered California will be launching a new ad campaign on Nov. 9, and has budgeted $157 million for marketing, sales and outreach during the current fiscal year.

Consumers can easily find out if they are eligible for Covered California or Medi-Cal – and see whether they qualify for financial help and which plans are available in their area – by using the CoveredCA.Com Shop and Compare Tool and entering their ZIP code, household income and the ages of those who need coverage.

Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also:

• Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
• Get free and confidential assistance over the phone, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
• Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

Interested consumers should go to www.CoveredCA.com to find out if they qualify for financial help and find free local help to enroll. They can contact the Covered California service center for enrollment assistance by calling (800) 300-1506.

About Covered California

Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find affordable, high-quality insurance from top insurance companies. Covered California is the only place where individuals who qualify can get financial assistance on a sliding scale to reduce premium costs. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Depending on their income, some consumers may qualify for the low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal program.

Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the health insurance marketplace work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the governor and the Legislature. For more information about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.