California Health Care

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. Explore your options for health insurance after losing your job with Health for California.

From the day you lost your job and health insurance coverage, you have 60 days to apply for health insurance, regardless of what time of year it is.

Since the Affordable Care Act went into law, most health insurance enrollment is limited to the Open Enrollment period at the end and beginning of every year. When Open Enrollment is closed, you typically have to wait for the next enrollment period to apply for coverage. However, this time is also known as the Special Enrollment Period, meaning you can find coverage if you experience a Qualifying Life Event. Involuntarily losing your job is considered one of these Qualifying Life Events.

It’s also important to know that searching for...

If you are a California resident needing health care coverage, it can be challenging to untangle terms like Medi-Cal, Medicaid and Medicare. This guide will help you understand Kaiser Medi-Cal as a solution to cover your medical needs, how it relates to Medicaid and Medicare and how you can apply for coverage.

Medi-Cal is the same as Medicaid in California. It is a federal and state-supported form of insurance that pays for various medical services for California residents with limited income and resources. While Medicaid is the larger nationwide program, Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid. Each state sets its own eligibility criteria and benefits, so it is important to consult sources specific to Medi-Cal for accurate information about Medicaid in California.

Kaiser Permanente is the oldest and largest Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) in the United States. Its largest membership is in California. If you qualify for Medi-Cal, you can choose Kaiser’s Medi-Cal plan as your he...

Maintaining good eye health is important as we age, just like maintaining good physical health. Because Medicare does not cover routine vision care, adding vision insurance can help seniors afford regular eye exams and vision correction.

Changes can occur in our vision over time. Vision insurance can cover the costs of regular eye exams, which detect prevalent eye issues early, and help you afford treatment. Eye exams also ensure your glasses or contact prescription is current so you can continue to see and do the things you love in clarity.

Vision insurance helps seniors have peace of mind over their eye health and financial health. At Health for California, we partner with some of the best providers in the area to offer quality vision insurance for seniors on Medicare.

EyeMed offers an expansive vision network with independent, retail and online providers. This flexibility ensures clients have convenient access to eye care in their area and online, if necessary. Some of their partnersh...

With high deductibles and rising health care costs across the nation, more and more Americans are looking for ways to make their medical care more affordable. One method many Americans are turning to is opening a health savings account, also referred to as an HSA. HSAs are widely considered by financial experts to be one of the best savings options available to consumers.

If you’re considering enrolling in an HSA, you may be wondering — what does an HSA cover? Do I qualify for an HSA? If I meet HSA requirements, how can I open an account? In this guide, we’ll provide answers to all these questions and many more.

A health savings account (HSA) is a savings account used with a high-deductible qualifying health insurance plan. This savings account is appealing to many consumers because money can be drawn from the account tax-free. Thus, consumers can use their pre-tax dollars to pay for their qualifying medical expenses. In California, you can enroll in a high deductible HSA if you h...

Open enrollment is the period during which people can purchase health insurance for the upcoming year. For the average person, this is the only time you can apply for health insurance. While there are some exceptions — such as experiencing a Qualifying Life Event or applying for health insurance through a company that does not use enrollment periods — in most cases, if you do not apply during this time, you will be unable to get the health insurance you need.

It is vital that you are aware of when you can apply for health insurance. It is the law to have it, and if you don’t apply by the deadline, you may face almost a year of living without it. Let Health for California help you plan for the next open enrollment period so you can be prepared for this essential time.

Open Enrollment for Covered California begins on November 1, 2024, and continues until January 31, 2025.

In many cases, if you do not apply during open enrollment, you will simply be denied insurance coverage until t...

Your insurance just got an upgrade.

As of August 1st, 2022, Kaiser Permanente secured several partnerships with organizations like Cigna PPO Network, MinuteClinic^® and Concentra, providing you and your dependents, clients and members with coverage anywhere they travel in the United States. Whether you’re going on business trips or personal vacations, having traveling health insurance with Kaiser Permanente ensures your family or employees can receive treatment at any time.

With the recent influx of remote work availability, extended trips and vacations are more popular than ever. Alongside them, telehealth and over-the-phone appointments are in high demand. Kaiser’s out-of-state health benefits for California mean that anyone can schedule an appointment in whatever form is most comfortable for them, in any state with Kaiser Permanente facilities, like:

Even when traveling out of state and getting away from California, you need the same health insurance benefits for you and your...

Medicare is the United States health insurance program designed to provide coverage to people over the age of 65, individuals with end-stage renal disease and younger people with certain disabilities. One key benefit of Medicare is that it helps control a person’s health care costs as they age.

Although Medicare can cover much of your health care needs, it doesn’t cover everything. For that reason, some people purchase supplemental Medicare coverage, also known as a Medigap policy. There are several reasons why Medigap might make sense for you and provide the most comprehensive form of health coverage. Learn more about what’s covered by Medicare and what you can get from purchasing a supplemental Medicare insurance plan in California.

Medicare is a multi-part health insurance program. Each Medicare part covers a different type of health care need:

Both Medicare Part B and Part D require a monthly premium based on income. Medicare Part B also has an annual deductible,...

In California, you can access comprehensive health insurance through Covered California or the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, vision care is not considered an essential health benefit. While certain Covered California health insurance plans offer some vision benefits, these plans only cover the basics. You’ll want to consider personal vision insurance if you have a family history of vision issues or wear glasses.

Supplemental vision insurance helps make eye care more accessible and affordable. It allows you to maintain your vision for a low monthly fee without putting yourself under financial strain.

Your vision insurance plan offers coverage outside your health insurance plan. You can either sign up for a stand-alone vision plan or combine your vision insurance with a dental plan. There are a few things to take note of, though:

It is worth noting that qualifying, unreimbursed costs associated with your coverage may be tax-deductible. Some of your premiums may also be tax-deducti...

Have you recently lost your health insurance coverage? Will you lose your coverage soon? If so, you may still have options for health insurance that can cover your medical needs. If you lose coverage before the next open enrollment period, you may qualify for special enrollment under certain conditions, like how you lost your coverage. This could be your opportunity to apply for new health insurance and avoid a coverage gap.

This article will help you understand how voluntary and involuntary loss of coverage relates to new plan enrollment so you can explore your options.

Losing your health care coverage can be stressful, but there are solutions. Lots of things could result in loss of health coverage, like:

Typically, you would need to wait for an open enrollment period to start a new plan. Fortunately, if your loss of coverage was involuntary, it is usually a qualifying life event for special enrollment. Your involuntary loss of coverage is a qualifying life event as long as e...

Many people have different priorities regarding vision insurance coverage, which ultimately can influence whether it is worth it to them. Take a look at our guide on vision insurance below to make an informed decision that fits your specific health needs.

Vision insurance is a plan that helps you cover the costs of eye-related care, which can range from routine eye exams to prescription glasses and contacts. Some insurance plans offer discounts for corrective eye surgeries or provide allowances to lower the out-of-pocket cost.

Similar to health insurance, vision insurance usually requires a deductible, copay and premium. This plan’s premiums are often much less expensive than those for health insurance.

You can purchase vision insurance through your employer or an insurance provider. The cost of vision insurance can range anywhere from $5 to $30 a month, depending on:

Vision insurance comes with several benefits that are appealing to individuals and their families, including:

When decidi...