The California Endowment Announces Cristina Saralegui, Veteran Journalist And Beloved TV Personality, As A Spokesperson For The Get Covered Campaign

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The California Endowment announced today that Cristina Saralegui will join Get Covered, known as Asegurate in Spanish, an Obamacare education and enrollment campaign. The statewide, bilingual campaign launched earlier this year with media partners Univision, Telemundo and impreMedia to help raise awareness about the Affordable Care Act and promote health insurance enrollment among Latinos in California.

"Health care is vital to the success of a community, and I am committed to doing my part to help Latinos learn about one of the most important laws affecting their well-being," said Cristina Saralegui. "Obamacare will make it possible for millions of Latinos in California and throughout the country to access vital health care services through affordable health insurance. I look forward to bringing important and much needed information about the law and its benefits to my community."

A seasoned journalist, TV personality and successful business woman, Ms. Saralegui was named by Time Magazine as one of the "25 Most Influential Hispanics in America." For more than two decades, she hosted and produced the highly-rated "Cristina" show on Univision, breaking ground by covering topics that had not been discussed previously on Spanish-language television. In 2012 she launched "The Cristina Channel", a 24/7 radio network for Sirius XM, which airs her radio show "Cristina Entre Amigos" (Cristina Between Friends) Monday thru Friday at 5 PM (EST).

In her new role, Cristina will participate in several projects and activities as part of the Get Covered campaign's education and outreach efforts. These include:

• Public Service Announcements for television and the Web
• Social media promotion
• Robocalls to targeted Latino households
• Obamacare primer delivered to 1.5 million households

"We are honored to have one of the most influential and well-respected Latina figures working with us to promote awareness about the new health care law," said Daniel Zingale, Senior Vice President at The California Endowment. "In order for health reform to succeed, we need to reach out to Latinos, who remain disproportionately uninsured and make up about 60 percent of the uninsured in our state, and get them enrolled in health insurance. Cristina is a highly trusted and well-known figure who will help us connect with mothers--key decision-makers in Latino households with the power to amplify our message."

About Cristina
CRISTINA made her television debut as host and executive producer in 1989 of "The Cristina Show" on the Univision Network.  For 21 years, Cristina and "The Cristina Show" entertained, uplifted, and educated the Hispanic community in the U.S. and throughout the world.  Cristina made it okay for Hispanics to openly discuss issues that had never been talked about on Spanish-language television; topics like sexual education for teens, AIDS awareness and education, as well as human rights issues facing the Hispanic community throughout the world.  In the process, "The Cristina Show" became a platform, a voice for millions of Hispanics who may not have otherwise been heard, earning 12 Emmys and making Cristina a household name. 

The Cuban-born media mogul is the first Spanish-language television personality to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Additionally, she has received numerous awards such as the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television's "Gracie Allen Tribute Award," AmFAR's "National Community Service Award," The Simon Weisenthal Center's 2004 "International Distinguished Achievement Award" as well as The Hispanic Heritage Foundation's "Arts Award" and the Imagen Foundation's "Lifetime Achievement Award."  She is the first Latina to be inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, where she joins such television legends as Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters and Johnny Carson.

For more information www.facebook.com/CristinaSaralegui, Twitter: @CristinaOpina

About The California Endowment
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental affordable improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people's health. Through its 'Health Happens Here' campaign and 10-year initiative for Building Healthy Communities, The Endowment is creating places where children are healthy, safe and ready to learn. At its core, The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. For more information, visit The California Endowment's homepage at www.calendow.org.

About Get Covered
Get Covered, known as Asegurate in Spanish, is a multi-year bilingual outreach and enrollment campaign designed to educate Latino and lower-income Californians about Obamacare and to drive them to enroll in Medi-Cal or private insurance through Covered California, the state's health benefits marketplace. The campaign's target audience represents groups with the highest percentage of uninsured. The campaign includes a major Spanish-language media partnership among Univision, Telemundo, and La Opinion-impreMedia, who are among the nation's largest Spanish-language media outlets; The California Endowment, a private foundation advocating for health and health equity; Covered California; and AARP. Together, the three media partners reach nearly 100 percent of the state's Latino population--approximately 15 million Californians--using television and print reporting, public service announcements, documentaries, and digital media.

To learn more, visit www.GetCovered.com.

Related Links:  
Get Covered   
Asegurate   

Video with caption: "Cristina Saralegui has joined the Get Covered campaign to help connect uninsured Latinos to quality, affordable care. She reminds us that for millions of uninsured Latinos Obamacare comes as a blessing. To learn more about the campaign, go to: http://getcoveredca.com." Video available at: http://youtu.be/w9C3YTLDE6M

Video with caption: "Cristina Saralegui se ha unido a la campana Asegurate para conectar a los Latinos sin seguro con cuidado asequible de calidad. Ella nos recuerda que para millones de Latinos sin seguro medico Obamacare viene como una bendicion. Para aprender mas sobre la campana, visite http://asegurate.com." Video available at: http://youtu.be/AHk6yQ1FAEc

SOURCE The California Endowment