Apply for Covered California Health Insurance
Life is anything but constant — job and lifestyle transitions occur all the time, and income changes often accompany them. Knowing when and how to report income changes to insurance providers helps determine your eligibility for coverage and savings.
When you enroll in Covered California, you need to report any changes, like earnings adjustments, in 30 days. Learn more about the reporting process so you can continue receiving quality health coverage and avoid financial penalties for noncompliance.
Updating your Medi-Cal application with your new income is essential for compliance and ensures better benefits for you. Some perks of reporting your change include:
Between busy work schedules and family commitments, finding the time to tackle everything on your to-do list can be challenging. However, reporting your income change to Covered California is a task you need to prioritize. Forgetting to submit your income change could result in penalties such as:
Aside from indicating a...
Open enrollment in California lasts through January 31, 2022, for coverage in 2022. If you need a new health insurance plan or want to switch from one plan to another without having a major life change, open enrollment is the time to do it.
There are often some changes in health insurance options and costs from year to year and 2022 is no different. Take a look at what’s changing in California this year and what’s staying the same.
In 2022, you can expect to have more choices when it comes to health insurance plans. How much you pay for a policy and how much you get from a subsidy are also likely to change this year. Let’s look at the changes and how they might affect you.
Your health insurance premium is how much you pay for coverage monthly. Insurance premiums are based on several factors, including your age, location and the type of insurance policy you buy. Whether you smoke or not also affects your premium. Tobacco users typically pay higher insurance premiums than non-smokers.
You’re protected against high medical bills and unexpected health care costs when you have health insurance. Since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) came into law in 2010, qualified health insurance plans need to provide a certain amount of coverage.
Preventative care needs to be covered without you paying out-of-pocket. Plans also need to have an out-of-pocket maximum to keep healthcare costs under control.
The ACA also introduced the concept of a tax penalty if a person doesn’t purchase an insurance plan. Since the rules about health insurance tax penalties have changed since the law went into effect, it’s essential to understand what you might have to pay if you decide health insurance isn’t for you.
Under the ACA, people who didn’t purchase health insurance or otherwise have insurance coverage were responsible for paying the individual Shared Responsibility Payment. Eligible individuals paid the fee when they filed their federal tax returns.
How much a person paid was based on...
Dental insurance is a must if you want to protect your teeth and gums. With a dental plan, you can ensure that you receive the regular cleanings and exams your mouth needs to stay in the best shape possible.
It’s important to have dental insurance to manage the costs of dental care and ensure everyone’s teeth are in excellent shape year after year. It’s also essential to find the right coverage for you. Knowing what options are out there and getting guidance from a professional team can help you find an insurer you can count on. At Health for California, we find providers that suit your needs.
Generally, dentists recommend getting a dental checkup every six months. Dental insurance usually fully covers the costs of a dental exam, cleaning and x-rays, which can be particularly helpful if you are paying for your dental care and that of your family members. Dental coverage provides the cushion you need to handle these ongoing expenses.
While twice-yearly appointments are the gold stand...
by Wendy Barnett
When you have lost your job, your medical insurance from your employer can end, too. Being without work can be a stressful time, but understanding your health insurance options doesn’t have to be. There are four important things to know when you have lost your job health insurance:
Did you know that since the Affordable Care Act took effect, most people must apply for their health insurance during a particular period of time each year? This period, which is called Open Enrollment, occurs annually in the fall. Once Open Enrollment closes, a Special Enrollment Period begins in which applicants must experience a Qualifying Life Event in order to apply.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, there have been over 1 million reported cases and over 50,000 associated deaths in the United States. As COVID-19 continues to impact communities across the country, people need access to health care more than ever. Unfortunately, many people — including Californians —...
The Affordable Care Act significantly reduced the number of uninsured people in California. In 2013, the uninsured rate in the state was 16 percent, but that figure dropped to nine percent in 2015. That means there are still nearly three million people in the state without insurance. Cost is one of the top reasons people remain without health coverage. In 2018, premiums in California increased an average of 12.5 percent, and they are expected rise 8.7 percent next year.
Although price can be a barrier, health insurance is an important investment. If you get sick or have an unexpected accident, you will need to pay for that completely out-of-pocket without insurance. A three-day stay in the hospital can cost approximately $30,000. Most people do not have that kind of money on-hand, which means they will end up carrying a significant amount of medical debt.
Other uninsured people do not sign up coverage because they are intimidated by the process, but getting insurance through Covered...
by Wendy Barnett
Qualifying Life Events (QLE) are big life occurrences called triggering life events that allow you to enroll in individual or family health insurance outside of the Open Enrollment Period. There is a whole list of life events that can be applicable, but this article will cover moving.
You may have a QLE if you have recently moved to California and sometimes if you have moved within California. Here are the important guidelines:
It is important to know that Covered CA does require a random selection of applicants who enroll during Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to provide verification documents for their qualifying life event.
For some people, moving occurs in stages and not on one specific day, so it may be hard to pin down the actual date of your permanent move. In this situation, it can be helpful to review Covered California’s list of SEP verification documents. See the section that pertains to moving below. Covered CA allows you to provide any one of the followin...
by Wendy Barnett
Uninsured Californian’s are receiving notices from the IRS urging them to get health insurance so that they will not have to pay a tax penalty. Notices went out in December ’16 and January ’17; and are the first time the IRS is reaching out to uninsured consumers since the Affordable Care Act went into effect. Consumers are being reminded that they can still apply for Obama Care during the annual Open Enrollment Period to avoid paying a tax penalty or the “Individual Shared Responsibility Payment” again.
Open Enrollment is the only time you can enroll for your health insurance unless you have a Qualifying Life Event. This year Covered CA’s Open Enrollment is from November 1, 2016 through Jan. 31, 2017. That’s why the reminder notices are going out in December and January. Now is the time for uninsured Californian’s to apply. If they don’t get their coverage in place this month, they will have to go the whole year without insurance and be subjec...
by Wendy Barnett
Did you forget to apply for your health insurance for January 1st? Or maybe you encountered difficulties submitting your application and could not get the assistance you needed to complete it. Don’t worry, you still have time to apply for Covered California. Open Enrollment is still open!
If you did not apply in time to start your coverage for January, you can still apply now for February. You can get a free quote and apply on-line at out California Health Insurance Quotes page. Our Covered CA certified agents can assist you with all of your questions and help you see if you qualify for a subsidy or tax credit. Don’t delay, apply by Jan. 20th to get your coverage started for February.
Open Enrollment is the set time period where individuals can apply for their health insurance. Individuals are not allowed to apply at other times of the year unless they have a Qualifying Life Event. During Open Enrollment, individuals can apply for a new health insurance plan or ma...
by John Hansen
Breaking News! – December 14, 2016 – According to Covered California, “The plan selection deadline for a January 1, 2017 coverage start date has been extended to Saturday, December 17.”
The California Health Exchange previously said they would not extend the deadline this time, but they were surprised due to an excessive amount of applications received this week. There has been increased interest in enrollment for the new year.
The Open Enrollment Period continues through January 31st. During this time, you can register for Obamacare without any qualifying life events.
If you complete the Covered California Application by Saturday, then you can still get a January 1st effective date. Plans selected between December 18, 2016 and January 15, 2017 will have a February 1, 2017 coverage start date, and those who apply between January 16, 2016 and January 31, 2017 will have a March 1, 2017 coverage start date.
Today, Covered CA announced the deadline extension and c...