During the final weekend of open enrollment for DC residents, the folks at DC Health Link tried to get as many people as possible into affordable health care plans.
“You need to engage with the people you want to reach. If you’re not engaged, you’re going to get nowhere,” said Antonio Guernica, director of business development for the District of Columbia Health Benefits Exchange Authority.
On Sunday, Guernica was at Adams Morgan at the Catholic Church of the Americas, one of the venues for the weekend’s engagements.
“We sent emails. We called people. We followed up. We visited them — whatever it takes,” he said with a laugh. “What does it do for you? Well, number one, it keeps your family healthy… Number two, it protects you from financial loss. High medical bills are one of the leading reasons people go bankrupt.”
Masses at the church are held in English and Spanish, so it’s an ideal place to reach out to the immigrant community.
Outreach continues at the landmark Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street NW. Tour groups come from far and wide for the food, atmosphere and history, and the Thompsons for the coverage.
“It went very well. We learned a lot [about] How DC health care works and what needs to be done,” said Rich Thompson.
“I think [the effort is] It’s very important because a lot of people don’t take the time or even know where to go,” said Angela Thompson.
So, at restaurants and churches, DC Health Link uses the weekend as an opportunity to provide food for thought.
“We realize health insurance isn’t a sexy topic, but it’s very, very important,” Guernica said.
Registration closes on January 31st, so there is still time to sign up.
“The best place to go is DChealthlink.com. There you’ll get all the information about what we’re doing,” Guernica said.
