Answers About Obamacare for San Diego County Residents

While Republicans and Democrats spar over "Obamacare" in Washington, San Diego County officials are gearing up to answer residents' questions about this sweeping change in health insurance beginning Jan. 1.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the most significant overhaul to the country’s healthcare system in decades and requires most U.S. citizens and legal residents to have health insurance coverage.


The coverage can be obtained through private insurance companies, government programs such as Medi-Cal, or purchased through Covered California – California’s version of the health benefits exchange required by the new law.

In San Diego County, an estimated 220,000 individuals will be eligible for insurance through Covered California while approximately 111,000 will be newly eligible for Medi-Cal. There are currently an estimated 200,000 county residents who are eligible for Medi-Cal but are not enrolled in the program.

The changes are confusing, but the San Diego County Library and 2-1-1 San Diego are ready to help answer questions by phone and through a series of presentations at various library branches over the next three months:

• Sept. 23—6:00 p.m., Bonita-Sunnyside Library
• Sept. 26—5:00 p.m., Fallbrook Library
• Sept. 27—10:00 a.m., Santee Library
• Oct. 2—6:30 p.m., Borrego Springs Library (Bilingual: English/Spanish)
• Oct. 3—6:30 p.m., San Marcos Library (Bilingual: English/Spanish)
• Oct. 14—3:00 p.m., Lakeside Library (Bilingual: English/Spanish)
• Oct. 24—6:00 p.m., Poway Library
• Nov. 1—10:00 a.m., Del Mar Library
• Nov. 7—6:00 p.m., Rancho San Diego Library
• Nov. 21—10:30 a.m., Fletcher Hills Library

In addition to the presentations, residents can call 2-1-1 or visit www.coveredca.com.

The San Diego County News Center contributed to this report.