WE Connect in partnership with the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation and La Opinion kickoff New Year with tools to help low-income Californians access health and financial programs
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In an effort to inform Californians about Obamacare, the affordable health care law, and connect them to enrollment opportunities and other important programs, WE Connect has re-launched its bilingual website and popular online screening tool, the WEb Connector. The WEb Connector now offers a more user-friendly experience to help low-income families quickly and easily determine eligibility for more than 10 critical programs that may help them lead healthier and more financially-secure lives. The sixth annual WE Connect bilingual supplement in partnership with La Opinion, the largest Spanish daily newspaper, will also be distributed across the state through ImpreMedia's newspapers and community based partners.
WE Connect, established in 2005 by First Lady Maria Shriver and run by The California Endowment, is a one-stop-shop for connecting families to programs that often go underutilized such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which can help boost taxpayers' refunds by up to $5,891. With nearly one million Californians currently eligible but uninsured, the new screening tool serves as an important resource for families interested in learning if they may be eligible for health care programs such as Med-Cal.
"This is a critical year for Californians, as we near full implementation of Obamacare. WE Connect is an important resource to help people understand the law's new provisions and programs," said Daniel Zingale, Senior Vice President of The California Endowment. "We are thrilled to have distinguished partners like Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation and impreMedia help families connect to health and financial resources, because we know that health goes beyond the doctor's office, it also happens with financial independence."
WE Connect's premier online tools, the WEb Connector and Resource Map, are developed by founding WE Connect partner, Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation. The web tools are designed to be very easy to use - take four steps, answer a few questions and within a couple of minutes the online tool calculates which programs you may be eligible for. And it's completely confidential.
"Intuit is committed to improving people's financial lives and giving back in the communities where we live and work," said Susan Mason, director of the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation. "We're delighted to help provide online tools like the WEb Connector and the Resource Map to help Californians become aware of the EITC and other money-saving programs."
New resources available through WE Connect:
-- WEb Connector - In four easy steps users can determine eligibility for state and federal programs. The tool now screens for Medi-Cal. -- Resource Map - Enter a zip code to locate FREE resources in your neighborhood including tax preparation sites and events, job fairs, health clinics and health care enrollment fairs near you. -- WE Connect Supplement -The 2013 Bilingual WE Connect Supplement is the state's most comprehensive bilingual guide for families about public and private programs available throughout the state. 1.5 million copies will be distributed by La Opinion through a network of Spanish-language newspapers and more than 5000 partner organizations.
