Open Enrollment for Covered California Is Not Over!
Posted: January 12, 2017
by Wendy Barnett
Did you forget to apply for your health insurance for January 1st? Or maybe you encountered difficulties submitting your application and could not get the assistance you needed to complete it. Don’t worry, you still have time to apply for Covered California. Open Enrollment is still open!
Apply by January 20th to start your Covered California plan for February 1st
If you did not apply in time to start your coverage for January, you can still apply now for February. You can get a free quote and apply on-line at out California Health Insurance Quotes page. Our Covered CA certified agents can assist you with all of your questions and help you see if you qualify for a subsidy or tax credit. Don’t delay, apply by Jan. 20th to get your coverage started for February.
What is Open Enrollment?
Open Enrollment is the set time period where individuals can apply for their health insurance. Individuals are not allowed to apply at other times of the year unless they have a Qualifying Life Event. During Open Enrollment, individuals can apply for a new health insurance plan or make changes to their existing plan (like switching to a higher or lower level of coverage or changing to a new carrier).
When is Open Enrollment?
This year Covered California’s Open Enrollment started on November 1, 2016 and ends on January 31, 2017.
Important dates for Open Enrollment:
During Open Enrollment, there are three Covered California deadlines to be aware of that will affect the start date of your coverage (this is called your effective date).
Please note in red above that Covered CA has announced extensions for 2 of the deadlines so far. The first extension was given because there was such a large number of people trying to get their applications submitted for January 1. The second extension was recently announced possibly because the Covered California website has been encountering technical difficulties in the week approaching the deadline causing enrollments to not be completed.
Why get Covered California Health Insurance?
- It protects you financially from large unexpected medical bills
- It helps you to avoid the tax penalty for not having health insurance
- It gives you peace of mind knowing what your out of pocket expenses will be
- Covered CA is the only place that qualified people can receive a tax credit to help lower their health insurance premiums
So, whether you forgot to apply by the first deadline or you are just trying to avoid the tax penalty, there is still time to submit your application before Open Enrollment is over. We advise applying as soon as possible to avoid the rush that occurs close to deadline dates. If you have questions, you can call our agents at 1-877-752-4737.
Not sure how Obamacare affects your health care plans in California? Learn how the ACA works in California, including benefits, costs and enrollment.
Covered California is the Golden State’s official health exchange marketplace where individuals, families and small businesses can find high-quality, low-cost California government health insurance.
Learn about Obamacare income guidelines in California using our income limits chart, and see if you’re eligible for government assistance.
Learn about the Covered California website. Find easy online enrollment. Set up your account, log in, buy insurance and more on the California health marketplace website.