Dallas Community Health Event on Saturday, October 26 Offers Health Insurance Enrollment Information and Free Health Services

RICHARDSON, Texas, Oct. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Be Covered Texas, a statewide education and outreach campaign sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, is working with more than 30 community partners to provide health services and health care information at the Be Covered Texas Care Fair on Saturday, October 26, 2013, at the Dallas Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Be Covered Texas Care Fair is expected to attract hundreds of families looking for information about the new health care law, healthy food giveaways, community resources and a wide-range of free services including flu shots and health screenings. Free parking is available with an event flyer available for download at BeCoveredTexas.org.

"Be Covered Texas is proud to be partnering with organizations that share our mission of expanding access to health care in Dallas," said Michelle Riddell, Chair of the Be Covered Texas campaign and Vice President of Community Investment for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. "This Care Fair creates an opportunity for uninsured Dallas families to access community resources and information that can help them understand their options during the open enrollment period."

Participating organizations will provide attendees with free educational information and health-related screenings and activities. The first 1,000 families will be able to pick up a free bag of healthy groceries in the Farmer's Market.

Participating organizations include: American Diabetes Association; American Heart Association; BCL of Texas; Builders of Hope; Caring for Children Foundation; Catholic Charities; Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas; Community Council of Greater Dallas; Cox Chiropractic; Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America, North Texas Chapter; Dallas Area Agency on Aging; Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity; Dallas County Department of Health and Human Services; Foundation Communities; Grand Prairie Wellness Center; Kroger; Lakewest YMCA; Los Barrios Unidos; Miles of Freedom; North Texas Food Bank; North Texas Housing Coalition; Novadebt; PlayWorks; Southern Hills Church of Christ; SouthFair Community Development Corporation; St. Luke Community UMC; Texas Department of State Health Services/WIC; The Concilio; The Family Place; University of North Texas System College of Pharmacy; Urban League of Greater Dallas & North Central Texas, Inc.; Vecinos Unidos, Inc.; and West Dallas Multipurpose Center.

To help raise awareness about the upcoming Care Fair, the Be Covered Texas team held a "Super Sunday" event at more than 25 churches across North Texas, including St. Luke Community United Methodist Church, a campaign partner and Care Fair participant. Churches hosted Be Covered Texas tables and shared news about the Care Fair with their congregations.

"St. Luke United Methodist Church is proud to partner with the Be Covered Texas campaign and participate in the Dallas Care Fair," said Dr. Henry Masters, Sr. Pastor, St. Luke Community United Methodist Church. "Our congregation was pleased to partake in the Super Sunday education effort this past weekend and share information about the Care Fair during Sunday services, and we hope our congregants will take advantage of all the Care Fair has to offer. During the past months, Be Covered Texas has been working side-by-side with us to provide educational information about the new health insurance marketplace to our members and community."

"By partnering with Be Covered Texas and participating in the Dallas Care Fair event, the Urban League is meeting our charge to help our community learn more about the Affordable Care Act and their health insurance options," said Dr. Beverly Mitchell Brooks, President, Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas. "We're eager to assist those who will be coming to the Convention Center looking for answers and help." 

The Dallas Care Fair will comprise several stations, including:

1. ACA Zone – Attendees will be able to ask questions one-on-one and learn about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from qualified community experts.
2. Kids Corner – The family-friendly kid zone will provide children's activities including Blue Bear, coloring books/crayons, crafts, face painting and other activities.
3. Medical Center – Attendees can receive free flu shots from the Caring for Children Foundation, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose screenings, dental screenings, vision screenings and BMI screenings.
4. Community Resources – Tables and booths of community resources including community clinics, health education, employment, housing, education resources and more.
5. 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.
6. Farmer's Market – A free bag of healthy groceries and helpful information will be provided to the first 1,000 families.

Be Covered Texas Care Fair is 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. American Diabetes Association; Builders of Hope; Caring for Children Foundation; Community Council of Greater Dallas; Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity; Grand Prairie Wellness Center; Miles of Freedom; North Texas Housing Coalition; Southern Hills Church of Christ; SouthFair Community Development Corporation; St. Luke Community UMC; The Concilio; The Family Place; Urban League of Greater Dallas & North Central Texas, Inc.; Vecinos Unidos, Inc.; and West Dallas Multipurpose Center are Be Covered Texas community partners and have been working with the campaign to distribute information and educate their members during the months leading up to open enrollment.  

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 Be Covered Texas