SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California™ and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced today that from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, as a benefit of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an estimated 92,485 individuals* in Los Angeles County started applications for Covered California health insurance plans.
Cumulatively, 24,957 individuals in Los Angeles County have enrolled in subsidized or unsubsidized Covered California health insurance plans, which reflects about 23 percent of the statewide enrollment (the county makes up 31 percent of those eligible statewide). This county encompasses Covered California pricing regions 15 and 16.
“Los Angeles County is critically important to our success,” Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “While it is good news that so many who live in Los Angeles have signed up, Californians all have one more week — until Dec. 23 — to enroll for coverage taking effect Jan. 1.”
Last week Covered California and DHCS released statewide figures showing that applications were started for an estimated 777,000 individuals between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30.
For the two-month period statewide, 109,296 individuals enrolled in Covered California health insurance plans. For the same period, 179,000 were determined to be likely eligible for Medi-Cal.
Other facts about Los Angeles County enrollment figures:
- More than 90 percent of consumers chose one of the four health insurance carriers that have traditionally been the largest in the individual market: Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Kaiser Permanente and Health Net.
- For the individuals who were eligible for subsidies, the great majority (65 percent) selected the “Silver” level of benefits, which is the level at which the federal premium assistance is targeted. Those who are not eligible for subsidies were more likely to buy across the spectrum of levels of coverage.
Dec. 23 is the deadline for consumers to enroll for health insurance coverage taking effect Jan. 1, 2014, but Lee pointed out that consumers can continue enrolling in Covered California plans through March 31, 2014. Medi-Cal enrollment is continuous throughout the year.
Lee also reminded consumers of the many paths they can take to enroll in Covered California health insurance plans and in Medi-Cal, including meeting in person with thousands of trained Certified Insurance Agents, Certified Enrollment Counselors and county eligibility workers, who can provide assistance with completing applications. Consumers can find the nearest in-person help on CoveredCA.com. Additionally, self-enrollment is available online, and enrollment can be completed over the phone by calling Covered California’s Service Center at (800) 300-1506.
* The estimated total of individuals is based on an average of 1.8 individuals per application.
Covered California is the state’s marketplace for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. With coverage starting in 2014, Covered California helps individuals determine whether they are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits.
Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the Governor and the Legislature. For more information on Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
About the Department of Health Care Services
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) works to preserve and improve the physical and mental health of all Californians. DHCS provides health care services for more than 8.5 million Californians through Medi-Cal, including medical, dental, mental health, substance use treatment services and long-term services and supports. This is accomplished through an investment of approximately $70 billion annually in public funds for the care of low-income families, children, pregnant women, seniors and persons with disabilities. DHCS focuses on delivering quality, effective services primarily through the more coordinated systems of care provided by 21 Medi-Cal managed care plans located in all of California’s 58 counties. For more information about DHCS, please visit www.dhcs.ca.gov.
