Important Notice to Our Guests About the Coronavirus

Kenny Chang
CEO, KCAL Insurance Agency

Dear Valued KCAL Customers,

In the past week, the new coronavirus “COVID-19” outbreak spread rapidly in the United States. KCAL has received many inquiries from our customers, whether it is regarding you and your family’s health insurance, your employees’ medical benefits or your company’s commercial insurance. We wholeheartedly understand your concerns.

Please note that we are taking necessary measures to protect the safety of our clients and our staff during this emergency period. We will limit in-person meetings with our professional representatives and staff and will conduct our business through phone, email and online. While we are working during the office hours from 9am to 6pm Monday through Friday, we will close our doors unless there is a special need for the meeting. You are more than welcome to contact us without leaving the house by contacting us through phone (626-333-1111), WeChat, or chatting with us online.

Call us at 626-333-1111 Follow our Official WeChat Account Chat with us online

At the same time, we’re taking guidance from the CDC and have added sanitation areas at the entrances of our offices, providing disinfecting and sanitizing wipes for our employees and customers.

With this opportunity, I would also like to share some important information:

• The CA Department of Insurance recently announced to immediately eliminate cost-sharing, including but not limited to co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance, for medically necessary screening and testing for COVID-19 and associated hospital, emergency department, urgent care, and provider office visits where the purpose of the visit is to be screened and/or tested for COVID-19.
• Covered California has announced that all Californians under the age of 65 can still enroll in health insurance plan through Covered California until 04/30/2020. If you still don’t have health insurance, please contact KCAL Insurance Agency at your earliest convenience.
• If your company has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and has financial difficulties, please contact your account manager to discuss how you can adjust your workers’ compensation insurance, commercial insurance or your employees’ medical insurance benefits to meet your financial needs.
• If you would like to learn more about the government’s resources such as EDD’s Unemployment Insurance Plan (opens in new tab), EDD’s Work Sharing Program (opens in new tab), SBA’s Disaster Assistance Loans (opens in new tab), please let us know as well. We will make every effort and take advantage of our community resources to resolve your worries.
• To prevent the epidemic from spreading and becoming worse, families and companies must develop emergency response plans and emergency contact information in advance.
• Practice social distancing. That means limiting the time you spend in public and keeping a 6-foot distance between yourself and strangers when you are in public.
• Call your health care provider or local public health department first before seeking medical care so that appropriate precautions can be taken. If you feel sick, you can use your health insurance plan’s online consultation service, or call your doctor and let them know your symptoms.

We also call on our community to pay special attention to hygiene. Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, wear a mask or isolate yourself when necessary, and take precautions when going to hospitals, long-term care centers or other places. We especially advise those who are 65 and over, those with underlying health conditions, and pregnant women to avoid any non-essential travel, public gatherings, or places where groups of people congregate, and ticketed event venues (such as theatres, concert halls, and sporting events). To learn more about the impact of the outbreak in Los Angeles County, you can dial 211 or 877-777-5799 for the latest accurate information about COVID-19.

As for employers, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has made the following suggestions:

• Consider postponing or cancelling non-essential community events, particularly those for or attended by those at high risk for serious illness (older adults, people with chronic conditions).
• Consider cancelling non-essential work-related out of state travel and travel to areas with local community transmission.
• Consider cancelling employee attendance at in-person conference and workshops of more than 50 people.
• Consider switching to virtual meetings when more than 50 participants.
• Consider postponing interactive activities and programming at event venues, libraries, museums, and community centers that require participants to be in close contact with each other for prolonged periods of time.
• Employers should offer telework/flexible work options for employees at high risk for serious illness associated with COVID-19.
• Postpone communal programming including recreational group activities, religious services, and social events at healthcare, long-term care, and interim housing facilities (utilize technology to keep residents connect through video chats, skype, teleconferencing, etc.)
• Modify practices at all gatherings to create as much distance between people as possible and eliminate salutations and greetings that involve handshaking and/or hugging, sharing drink, food, cups and utensils and self-serve buffets.

Lastly, we would like to express our sincere thanks to all our customers for your long-term support! Nothing can stop the beautiful spring season from coming! Let’s fight together against COVID-19 and get through this epidemic as early as possible and as best as we can.

Wishing you the best of health!

Kenny Chang
CEO, KCAL Insurance Agency