California Care
What Is California Care?
California Care insurance is another name for the health care plans available to California residents at a government-subsidized rate. California Care is the state’s health benefit exchange program. It enables all California residents to enjoy lower premiums and better access to health care. You may also find this program called by other names like “Obamacare” in California, or by its official name, Covered California.
The California care health plan gives you access to a variety of private health insurance companies or brand-name insurance plans. You can sign up for California care at Covered CA to enjoy better access to health insurance and federal tax credits.
California Care and the Affordable Care Act
Since 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has brought about many unique changes to our country’s health care delivery system. The main benefit of the ACA is that it makes high-quality health care services available to everyone at an affordable price, regardless of income level.
To make it possible for you to enjoy the full benefits of the ACA in California, you need to have a minimum level of health insurance coverage. If you don’t, you’ll have to pay a tax penalty. On the other hand, getting this minimum insurance coverage puts you at an advantage when you need to access health care services.
Some of the key benefits of ACA include:
- You won’t be denied health insurance coverage due to existing medical conditions
- Special assistance if you are in the low to mid-income range
- Enjoy the state health benefit exchange provision that allows you to buy your health insurance at a discount
California was one of the first states in the country to provide a state health benefits exchange program for residents. This program is officially called Covered California or Covered CA.
Covered California offers you an easy way to know the type of subsidy you’re qualified for. You can also search and apply for the most suitable California Care health insurance plan after you’ve compared various options.
California Care Facts and Stats
- California became the first state in the U.S. to pass a law initiating their health benefit exchange after the Affordable Care Act was passed.
- Families in California earned an average of about $436 in tax credits every month through Covered California within the first twelve months.
- In 2014, Covered California had about 1.4 million residents enrolling in private insurance plans, and about 88% enjoyed government subsidies.
- In 2015, Covered California had 495,073 new members. More than 900,000 existing members also renewed their insurance plans.
- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducted a survey and discovered that the uninsured rate in California had dropped to 8.1% in 2015, which is one percent lower than the national uninsured rate.
- In 2016, enrollment data for Covered California revealed that 439,392 new members got insured, while 1.1 million existing members applied for renewal of their California Care health insurance plan. This brought the total enrollment figure to 1.6 million people.
California Care Is the Same as Covered California
By now you know that California has named its health insurance benefits exchange program Covered California. This means that when you’re searching for information about California Care, you can find it by looking for Covered California.
Covered California offers you information on the following:
- Registered Covered CA brand-name insurance carriers
- Different metal tier levels and their benefits
- Income limit allowed for premium assistance
- How to apply online for Covered CA
Get an absolutely free Covered California quote right now by using our online app to apply for a Covered California plan. We also offer free access to our agents who’ll help you choose the best health insurance plan for you and your family. Call a Health for California agent now and get answers to all your questions about California Care.