Covered California Open Enrollment
Covered California is a public health insurance exchange in California offering individuals and families access to multiple health insurance carriers and Advanced Premium Tax Credits towards their monthly premiums. The savings that tax credits offer can be substantial. Although most subscribers elect to have tax credits advanced and applied to their monthly premiums, they can also choose to defer tax credits until tax time.
Every Fall, individuals have the opportunity to apply for health insurance during the Covered California annual open enrollment period (AOEP). The AOEP usually lasts for three months, and begins sometime around October 15th. Failure to elect a plan choice or change coverage during this time may leave individuals stuck on their health plan for the following calendar year. The only way to change or enroll into a Covered California health plan mid-year is to experience a qualifying life event.
Qualifying life events may include:
- Involuntary loss of health insurance coverage
- Birth of a child
- Marriage
- Divorce
- Moving into a service area where your prior policy is no longer offered
- Change in income
If you are a Covered California subscriber it’s important to keep your stated income current or else you may face repayment of some or all of the tax credits received during the year. Updating your income mid-year may result in a plan change and or a higher/lower premium than before.
If you are currently enrolled in a Covered California plan and would like some assistance with reporting income, enrollment, plan changes, or uploading proof documentation, you may wish to delegate one of our licensed agents as your representative. There is no charge for this process and it will only require a few minutes of your time via a conference call with Covered California. Once delegated, our licensed agent(s) can assist with all of the listed items above, in addition to other value added services.
Individuals and Families
Covered California Insurance Exchange
For those who qualify, the Covered California Marketplace may be their best option for purchasing health insurance. Individuals, families, and small businesses who qualify may receive tax credits toward their monthly insurance premiums while choosing a plan from carriers participating in the marketplace. For individuals and families, this currently includes carriers such as Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, Western Health Advantage, and Kaiser Permanente.
Small Businesses
- You have at least one but no more than 100 eligible employees and meet certain contribution and participation requirements.
- You have at least one employee who receives a W-2.
- The majority of your eligible employees live in California.