Consumers Must Enroll by Midnight on Dec. 15 to Be Covered
on Jan. 1
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With just one day remaining to enroll
for health insurance starting in January, Covered California announced that
more than 140,000 consumers had enrolled in coverage by the end of Sunday, Dec.
13.
“Once again, Covered California is seeing an incredible
surge of interest, and thousands of people are enrolling at storefronts,
insurance agent offices and community centers across the state every day,” Covered
California Executive Director Peter V. Lee said. “Everyone who needs health
insurance, or knows someone who does, should know they can get financial help
to pay for top-brand health insurance coverage, and if they enroll by Dec. 15,
their coverage can start on Jan. 1.”
Although open enrollment runs through Jan. 31, 2016,
consumers must enroll by midnight Dec. 15 to have their coverage start by New
Year’s Day.
Covered California
estimates that there are currently about 750,000 uninsured Californians eligible
for subsidies, and it forecasts that between 295,000 and 450,000 consumers will
newly enroll in coverage during open enrollment. An additional 1.4 million
people statewide are believed to qualify for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal.
“We know that financial assistance is key in helping
consumers get the health care coverage they need and deserve,” Lee said. “Our
research shows that one-third of those eligible to get financial help to buy
insurance don’t know it’s available, and we want to make sure our message
reaches into every corner of the state.”
Enrollment locations can be found by visiting www.CoveredCA.com/get-help/local
and searching for enrollment help by ZIP code. In addition, hundreds of
locations with Covered California signage mark places where consumers can
enroll confidentially and at no cost in a variety of languages. Consumers can
also call Covered California directly at (800) 300-1506 to enroll over the
phone.
About Covered California
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. 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 about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
