Be Covered Texas To Host Free Community Health Events in Dallas and Houston in October

RICHARDSON, Texas, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Be Covered Texas, a statewide education and outreach initiative sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, will be hosting two free community health events in October in Houston and Dallas. The Be Covered Texas Care Fairs will take place in Houston on October 12 at the Reliant Center and in Dallas on October 26 at the Dallas Convention Center Arena. Each Care Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will provide an array of educational information and health-related screenings and activities.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130627/DA39756LOGO)

Be Covered Texas Care Fairs will provide opportunities for families and individuals to access a wide-range of free services including information about the new health care law, flu shots, health screenings, healthy food giveaways to the first 1,000 families and direct access to local community resources through Be Covered Texas partners.

"Be Covered Texas Care Fairs are another way we are reaching out to uninsured Texans to help them prepare for the enrollment period that begins October 1 and runs through March 31," said Michelle Riddell, Chair of the Be Covered Texas campaign and Vice President of Community Investment for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. "We are working with our partners to create informational events that will serve as valuable resources to the Dallas and Houston communities."

Care Fairs will be comprised of different stations, including:

1. ACA Zone – Attendees will be able to ask questions one-on-one and learn about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), its provisions and find out what is coming in 2014 from qualified community experts.
2. Medical Center – Attendees can receive free medical screenings, as available.
3. Community Resources – Tables and booths of community resources including community clinics, health education, employment, housing, education resources and more.
4. Story Wall – A place where attendees can share their stories and experiences and tell the Be Covered Texas campaign how it can continue to help build awareness among their families and friends.
5. Farmer's Market – Attendees will have the opportunity to receive a free bag of healthy groceries and helpful information.

Be Covered Texas Care Fairs are part of the campaign's commitment to providing free educational resources. Be Covered Texas also provides a bilingual website, materials, toll-free hotline and a text campaign. Consumers can call toll free 866-427-7492 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT, visit BeCoveredTexas.org or text 33633 with the word JOINTX for English or UNIRTX for Spanish for updates on the campaign and regular information about the new federal health care law.

Since the Be Covered Texas campaign launch in March, grassroots outreach and education efforts have continued through its more than 140 partner organizations.

Organizations interested in having a presence at Be Covered Texas Care Fairs, can email [email protected].

About Be Covered Texas
Be Covered Texas has more than 140 community partners focused on helping uninsured Texans understand how the new health care law impacts them and what steps they need to take to gain access to individual health insurance. The campaign works with community partners to provide user-friendly information and on-the-ground guidance with the ultimate goal of helping Texans Be Covered. The campaign is fully funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. To receive alerts from the Be Covered Texas campaign text 33633 with the word JOINTX for English updates or UNIRTX for Spanish updates.
www.becoveredtexas.org | twitter.com/becovered | facebook.com/becovered.org

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) – the only statewide, customer-owned health insurer in Texas – is the largest provider of health benefits in the state, working with nearly 80,000 physicians and 500 hospitals to serve 4.8 million members in all 254 counties. It has also been ranked "Highest Member Satisfaction among Commercial Health Plans in Texas" for three years in a row by J.D. Power and Associates.  BCBSTX is a Division of Health Care Service Corporation (which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans in Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Montana), the country's largest customer-owned health insurer and fourth largest health insurer overall.  Health Care Service Corporation is a Mutual Legal Reserve Company and an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  
BCBSTX.com | Twitter.com/BCBSTX | Facebook.com/BlueCrossBlueShieldOfTexas | YouTube.com/BCBSTX

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas