Covered CA & Community Partners honor Martin Luther King Jr. in Events Commemorating the Civil Rights Leader’s Birthday

via Covered California...

he commemoration of Dr. King’s 91st birthday will include parades in both Los Angeles and Sacramento where Covered California will participate.

Covered California representatives, including executive director Peter V. Lee, will join members of Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in participating in Los Angeles’ Kingdom Day Parade.

In addition, Covered California staff will join thousands of others in Sacramento’s March for the Dream parade.

Covered California is committed to ensuring that the rich diversity of people in the state have access to quality health care.

Open enrollment is underway, and people have through Jan. 31 to sign up for coverage and see if they are eligible for financial help.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California will help celebrate the 91st birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, by having a contingent of leaders honor the civil rights icon by participating in parades in both Los Angeles and Sacramento.

“Martin Luther King Jr. was a champion for social justice, and fought to bring universal healthcare to all Americans, regardless of their race, creed or color,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee, who will join Covered California staff in the 35th Annual Kingdom Day Parade Los Angeles parade. “Dr. King’s beliefs and values mirror the goals of Covered California, which for the past seven years has brought healthcare to millions more California through the Affordable Care Act.”

Lee will be joined in the parade by Dr. David M. Carlisle, president and CEO of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) in Los Angeles.

“As a health professions university founded to address health disparities in under-resourced communities, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science shares the values of Covered California and the conviction that healthcare is an absolute right for all,” Carlisle said. “We also know that it was part of Dr. King’s vision that everyone has access to affordable, high-quality healthcare.  We are proud that our students and faculty are walking in today’s parade.”

Also participating in the parade will be Covered California community partners such as Crenshaw Health Partners, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles South Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Valley Health Corporation and numerous Covered California certified insurance agents.

Kingdom Day Parade

The parade, which is described as the largest celebration of Dr. King’s birthday in America, will start at 10:00 a.m. at Western and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The parade route runs down MLK Blvd. to Crenshaw Blvd., eventually ending at Vernon Avenue.

Covered California and CDU have teamed up before to show how Dr. King’s message of equality aligns with improving health care. In 2018, the two organizations came together to erect a 69-by-30 foot mural of Dr. King at the school. The mural features one of King’s most famous quotes about health disparities, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.” 

March for the Dream

In Sacramento, Covered California representatives will participate in the “March for the Dream” parade, walking a 4-mile loop in the historic Land Park neighborhood, beginning and ending at Sacramento City College at 3835 Freeport Blvd.

Marchers depart the college’s Hughes Stadium at 9:15 a.m.

Also participating in the parade will be Covered California community partners such as Sacramento Covered, the California Black Health Network and certified insurance agents.

Covered California representatives will be available for interviews at both locations.

Californians Can Still Enroll

Lee reminds uninsured consumers that they can still get coverage. Covered California’s open-enrollment period runs through Jan. 31. Consumers can easily find out if they are eligible for financial help and see which plans are available in their area by entering their ZIP code, household income and the ages of those who need coverage into Covered California’s Shop and Compare Tool.

Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can:

Visit www.CoveredCA.com.

Get free and confidential in-person assistance, 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