California is Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic by Announcing a Special Enrollment to Help People Get Insurance

California is Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic by Announcing a Special Enrollment to Help People Get Insurance

Good News! Covered California announced today that effective Feb. 1, anyone uninsured and eligible to enroll in health care coverage through Covered California can sign up through May 15.

Selecting a plan can be difficult, here are some things to consider:

Benefit Level:
There are 4 benefits levels to choose from. Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum.  Bronze is the lowest cost level; however, it has a high deductible from $5,000 - $7800/year.  As you go up to Silver, Gold and Platinum, the deductibles and cost of care go down, but the monthly premium goes up. Consider what you expect to accomplish with your health plan this year, then choose the appropriate level for your needs. Planning a procedure or surgery? Choose a Gold or Platinum plan so that your hospital costs are lower. Not expecting any doctor visits this year? A Bronze or Silver plan will provide a safety net, without costing as much every month.

Type of Plan: HMO, PPO or EPO
The most important factor in choosing the type of plan is what providers you want to use. If you have multiple specialists in different locations, a PPO may be best for you. However, if you only see your primary doctor or you have multiple doctors in the same medical group, then an HMO will be fine. Sometimes an EPO can work like a PPO where you have doctors in various groups, and EPO may have coverage across medical groups and it would be ok to choose an EPO plan that covers them all.

Get Help:
Of course, it is important to do your homework before choosing a plan for the year. You can get assistance from your HR Department, Health Insurance Brokers, or Covered California to choose the best plan for you that includes your medical providers and the lowest premium for the services that you need.

Feel free to contact us for more info, call/text: 714-900-2363

Click here for the full article from Covered California