New WE Connect Tool Helps Californians Navigate Health Care Reform and Other Programs

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."