Half of those who called Covered California for help in enrolling in Obamacare in February and March hung up after waiting on hold, Chad Terhune of the Los Angeles Times reports.
The California program, which is touted by Obamacare’s supporters as proof of the law’s potential success, is still struggling to meet its enrollment goals.
Despite hiring more call center workers, Terhune notes, “less than 5% of calls are answered within 30 seconds and about a third of callers get a busy signal, state data show.”
One positive sign: the proportion of Latino enrollees has risen to 32%. That is still disproportionately low, as Latinos comprise nearly 40% of the state.