In partnership with Dignity Health

The new year is fast approaching and I hope it’s a brighter year for us all. With the holiday rush all around us, you might not get a chance to think about your goals for 2019 until well into January. But we can take charge on a number of goals even before the year even starts.

There’s a very important piece of business to take care of in December and it’s relevant to so many of us stepping into a healthy new year. Consider this a PSA!

Open Enrollment for the 2019 marketplace for Health Insurance ends December 15, 2018. That’s the last day you can enroll for health insurance at HealthCare.gov. (The last day of open enrollment in California is January 19, 2019.)

I teamed up with Dignity Health, healthcare provider and the largest hospital provider in California, to help spread the word.

Dignity Health conducted a survey about how Californians feel about open enrollment. Check it out—so many find researching health insurance extremely stressful. To my dismay, my fellow Latina/o community represents more than half of Californians who lack health insurance. (Our friends and family truly need to start these conversations!) If you’ve been putting it off, the hardest part is that first step. But there’s still time.

Last year, my husband and I were both working independently, so we purchased health insurance through Covered California. We were able to keep our same family doctor, which was important to me because Julia loves her. Of course, I was also pregnant and had a baby, which meant so. many. prenatal. visits. And a hospital stay. Having enough coverage for big events was certainly something I considered. But being able to go to a doctor we trust throughout the year, especially for preventative care, is what helps keep us healthy.

Here are some handy resources that support open enrollment, including important dates.

I wish you all a bright, happy, healthy new year!

Jessica Castro Photography