SPECIAL ENROLLMENT
ABRIDGECO,
is moving health coverage forward…we are Certified Insurance Agents for COVERED
CALIFORNIA. The deadline has pasted for Covered CA enrollment. However, there
are options for signing up under SPECIAL
ENROLLMENT.
Getting Covered Outside of the Open-Enrollment Period
Open enrollment
for 2015 coverage ended Feb. 15. Once open enrollment has ended, consumers can
enroll in a Covered California health insurance plan only if they have
experienced a qualifying life event. Consumers can enroll in Medi-Cal at any
time.
Below is a list of common types of qualifying life
events for special enrollment that apply year-round.
- Getting married or
entering into a domestic partnership.
- Having a child or
adopting a child, receiving a child into foster care, or placing a child
in adoption or in a foster home.
- Change in place of residency, which allows a
consumer to gain access to new Covered California health insurance plans.
This includes moving to California from another state. This also applies
to individuals who are released from jail or prison.
- Losing health
coverage. For example,
consumers are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal, or they lose health
coverage through their job.
- Income changes so
much that a consumer becomes newly eligible or ineligible for help paying
for their insurance. For example, if a consumer is already getting
help paying for their insurance premium, and their income goes down, they
may be able to get extra help.
- Becoming citizens, national or lawfully present
individuals. This event applies only to people who were not previously
citizens, nationals or lawfully present.
- The consumer’s
enrollment was wrong, due to the misconduct or misrepresentation of
their health insurance company, Covered California or a non-Covered
California entity (such as a Certified Enrollment Counselor).
- Being a member of
a federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native tribe. A consumer in
this category may enroll in health insurance or change health insurance
plan once a month even if the open enrollment period is over.
- Covered California
can also determine, on a case-by-case basis, that the consumer experienced
an exceptional circumstance, which could allow for a special enrollment
period.
Signing Up for Health Insurance or Changing Health
Insurance Plans After a Qualifying Life Event
·
Consumers
have 60 days from the date on which the qualifying life event happens to enroll
in a Covered California health insurance plan or change their existing Covered
California plan. For example, if a consumer has a child on June 1, they have
until July 31 to notify Covered California, complete an application for their
new child, choose a health plan and pay for it. If they do not get health
coverage for their child, they may have to pay a tax penalty.
·
If 60
days pass and consumers do not sign up for health coverage, they will have to
wait until the next open enrollment period.
Canceled Medi-Cal Coverage and Special Enrollment
Losing
Medi-Cal coverage is considered a qualifying event that would trigger a special
enrollment period for consumers. Other qualifying events include the loss of a
job, a marriage or divorce, or the birth of a child. In the case of such an
event, consumers would be eligible to enroll within 60 days of that event.
During that period they could not be denied coverage by a health plan in
Covered California or in the individual market, and would be eligible for the
premium assistance that is only available through Covered California.
How to Enroll After a Qualifying Life Event
Contact
ABRIDGECO: info@abridgeco.com
