Covered California and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced that from October 1 to November 30, as a benefit of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, an estimated 30,161 individuals in the Central Valley started applications for Covered California health insurance plans.
Cumulatively, 7,660 individuals in the counties of San Joaquin, Kern, Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa, Tulare, Fresno, Kings and Madera have enrolled in subsidized or non-subsidized Covered California health insurance plans, which reflects about 7 percent of the statewide enrollment (these counties make up 10 percent of those eligible for subsidies statewide).
Covered California and DHCS released statewide figures showing that applications were started for an estimated 777,000 individuals in October and November. For the two-month period statewide, 109,296 individuals enrolled in Covered California health insurance plans. For the same period, 179,000 were determined to be likely eligible for Medi-Cal.
Other facts about Central Valley enrollment figures:
- All consumers chose one of the four health insurance carriers that have traditionally been the largest in the individual market: Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross of California, Kaiser Permanente and Health Net.
- For the individuals in the Central Valley who were eligible for subsidies, the great majority (72 percent) selected the “Silver” level of benefits, which is the level at which the federal premium assistance is targeted. Those who are not eligible for subsidies were more likely to buy across the spectrum of levels of coverage.
December 23 was the deadline for consumers to enroll for health insurance coverage taking effect January 1, but consumers can continue enrolling in Covered California plans through March 31. Medi-Cal enrollment is continuous throughout the year.
Consumers have many ways to enroll in Covered California health insurance plans and in Medi-Cal, including meeting in person with thousands of trained Certified Insurance Agents, Certified Enrollment Counselors and county eligibility workers, who can provide assistance with completing applications. Consumers can find the nearest in-person help on CoveredCA.com. Additionally, self-enrollment is available online, and enrollment can be completed over the phone by calling Covered California’s Service Center at (800) 300-1506.
Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans.
For more information, visit www.CoveredCA.com.