California Health Care

In California, nearly one in seven people experience a mental illness. This makes it one of the most common health conditions in the state. If you’re experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues, the costs for care and treatment can rack up pretty fast. This is why it’s beneficial to have mental health insurance.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), all insurance plans cover mental health and substance use disorders in California. It’s important to note that an insurer can’t deny you coverage for an existing condition, and they can’t limit you or charge more than they would for other health services. There are multiple insurance options to choose from, no matter your financial circumstances. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you select the one that best supports your mental health needs.

If you’re searching for a new insurance provider or are looking to switch, consider your mental health needs so that you can choose the right plan to cover your treatm...

Health insurance plans have many terms and conditions that may be challenging to understand when shopping for insurance. For many, the most confusing health insurance terms are the out-of-pocket costs not covered or reimbursed by your insurance provider. These typically include deductibles, copays and coinsurance, which are health care costs you continue to incur even after you’ve paid your monthly or yearly insurance premiums.

Out-of-pocket health care costs vary depending on your insurance plan and add up to your total medical bills. These costs are set up to ensure cost-sharing between you and your insurer to keep medical expenses manageable. Below, we discuss the common out-of-pocket expenses you can expect to incur to help you choose the best insurance plan for you and your family.

A deductible is a dollar amount you pay for your covered health care expenses before your health plan starts to pay its share. Your health insurance plan determines your deductible, which is reset...

Blue Shield of California has been providing the state’s residents with health insurance since 1939. If you are a senior looking for new dental insurance coverage, Health for California can help you find the right Blue Shield dental plan to suit your needs.

Growing up, our parents always told us to take care of our teeth, and these words of wisdom still ring true for us in retirement age. Dental coverage makes regular oral care affordable and encourages seniors to take preventive and proactive steps needed for their overall wellness. It is especially helpful in emergencies for painful tooth conditions or for loose or lost teeth.

Blue Shield offers two dental plans through Health for California for seniors — the Dental Standard HMO and Enhanced Dental PPO 1500. Here is an outline of services for each plan.

In insurance, health maintenance organization (HMO) plans are designed for pre-determined dental costs and lower monthly premiums. The dental standard HMO plan encourages preventive...

Did you know that as many as 11 million Americans need vision correction? A vision insurance policy is essential to help maintain eye health and reduce eye care costs.

Unlike a regular health plan that only covers unexpected vision costs such as eye injury or disease, vision insurance helps you maintain eye wellness. It gives you access to routine eye exams, vision-related treatment and preventive care, depending on the insurer and plan.

Vision insurance remains a gray area for many Americans. Use this guide to learn about what it is, how it works and what you can expect it to cover.

Vision insurance is a type of policy that covers specialized eye care. It’s separate from health insurance and covers eye care expenses as opposed to general eye health. It’s important to distinguish between vision discount and vision insurance  — two types of plans that offer similar benefits and are often confusing. Here’s an overview:

Vision insurance works similarly to health insurance pl...

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is excited to join Covered California in 2024. By participating in the California marketplace, IEHP can help members stay covered throughout the year.

IEHP is a not-for-profit, Medi-Cal managed care health plan. A managed care health plan works with a specific network of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and other care providers to deliver Medi-Cal benefits.

Since 1996, IEHP has been helping Californians gain access to affordable health care services. IEHP is now one of the largest Medi-Cal plans available, serving over a million members. It also serves individuals enrolled in IEHP DualChoice — a Medicare-Medicaid plan.

IEHP aims to increase members’ access to low-cost, high-quality health care. With the organization’s current process, thousands of IEHP members risk losing their Medi-Cal coverage each year with an income increase. However, joining IEHP through Covered California means they’ll automatically be enrolled in the lowest-cost silver pl...

With almost one in seven Californians dealing with a mental health illness and nearly two-thirds of California adults with mental illness not receiving treatment, getting the right mental health insurance is more critical than ever. California’s amended Mental Health Parity Act requires commercial health insurance plans to cover mental health treatment, but choosing a plan can be difficult. Research is your first step in obtaining the coverage you need to get the treatment you deserve.

Knowing what kind of help your mental health insurance plan will pay for is essential. A good plan should cover many types of consistent treatment, like talking to a therapist, seeing a psychiatrist or getting help for addiction — not just one-time visits. Look for coverage for different kinds of therapy, including talking to someone alone, with your family or in a group. It should also include options for more serious cases where you might need to stay in a hospital or treatment center.

In-ne...

Some Covered California enrollees will see their health plan costs increase in 2024, while others won’t experience any changes. Read below to learn about the expected rate changes in the upcoming year and how they may affect you.

A health plan rate refers to your plan’s cost — the premium you pay each month. The average health plan rate will increase by 9.6% in 2024. However, this is just an average, and rates vary significantly by region and insurance provider.

For instance, Imperial, Inyo and Mono counties will see an average 15.8% increase in Covered California plan costs. By contrast, Napa, Sonoma, Marin and Solano counties will see a 6.5% increase on average.

Rates vary by provider, too. Blue Shield of California will have the highest average increase of 15%, while Aetna CVS Health will see the lowest average increase of 0.2%.

Many different factors contribute to higher health plan costs, including:

Despite the jump in premiums, many Covered California enrollees won’t see any...

In 2024, more Californians will have access to Aetna CVS Health and Health Net. Read about the changes below, and if you have any questions, give us a call.

Aetna CVS Health joined Covered California in 2023. The company offers affordable individual and family health plans that are compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). ACA-compliant plans cover 10 essential benefits after the deductible is met, such as emergency services and hospitalization.

Currently, Aetna is available in these counties:

In 2024, Aetna CVS Health will expand services to the following counties:

Health Net is another option for affordable individual, family and Medi-Cal health care coverage. It’s the only Medi-Cal plan offering dental coverage in Los Angeles and Sacramento counties.

Health Net’s individual and family plans are called Ambetter plans. These plans are available through Covered California in the following counties:

Note that Health Net is only available in certain zip codes in some of the a...

Oscar Health has decided to leave Covered California in 2024 for financial reasons. If you’re currently enrolled in an Oscar plan, you can select a new plan during a special enrollment period. You can also choose a new health insurance provider during the regular enrollment period, which starts in November.

Do you have questions about your Oscar coverage or health insurance in general? Our agents are here for you. Call us today for answers.

Oscar is a health insurance company headquartered in New York City. It was founded in 2012 and is known for offering a user-friendly mobile app and 24/7 virtual care.

The company joined Covered California in 2016. Its California branch is called Oscar Health Plan of California.

Currently, Oscar serves over 31,000 Californians.

Oscar is leaving Covered California to increase profitability, but the company hopes to reenter the market in the future.

Oscar’s California members represent a small percentage of Covered California enrollees. Its lo...

Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) is a wellness-focused, Medi-Cal managed care plan serving residents in the Inland Empire (IE) region. It was established in 1994 as the region’s Medi-Cal plan. Today, IEHP also offers metallic plans, including a low-cost silver plan, through Covered California for individuals who aren’t eligible for Medi-Cal.

IEHP is known as a health insurance provider that cares about its community and improving access to quality health care. It provides zero-premium or low-cost plans to eligible individuals. IEHP offers advantages such as:

IEHP is one of the largest Medicaid health plans in the country. It also offers Covered California plans.

Currently, IEHP is only available to residents in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Residents of these counties can consider three different types of IEHP coverage:

IEHP is not the same as Medi-Cal — but they work together. Medi-Cal is California’s Medicaid program that provides services and benefits through dif...