Covered California Health Insurance

Covered California is the health insurance marketplace for the state of California. This is available for residents of California so they can find affordable health insurance. As part of this service, residents can choose from a variety of insurance plans, so they get the most affordable and best coverage for their circumstances.  When Californians apply for health insurance through Covered California, their application may be routed to Medi-Cal, the low-cost or free insurance option in California, if they qualify financially.

Finding a health plan can be confusing. At Acceptance Insurance, we have bilingual agents who can help you navigate through the maze of health insurance options for free. Did you know 1 in 5 California residents qualify for free healthcare**? Call us at 877-423-5651 to find out if you qualify.

*“COVERED CALIFORNIA,” “CALIFORNIA HEALTH BENEFIT EXCHANGE”, AND THE COVERED CALIFORNIA LOGO ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OR SERVICE MARKS OF COVERED CALIFORNIA, IN THE UNITED STATES.

California’s health marketplace is open to all residents, except those receiving Medicare. If you already have insurance through an employer, but you feel it costs too much, you should check to see if you can find a cheaper plan through Covered California. Others who qualify include:

• U.S. citizens and nationals
• Green card holders (permanent residents)
• Lawful temporary residents
• Refugees and asylees
• Humanitarian immigrants
• DACA recipients
• Non-immigrants with student or worker visas

California charges a penalty for anyone who lives in California, files taxes and does not have health insurance.

How to Determine Covered CA Eligibility

Everyone who falls under the above guidelines and does not have Medicare or affordable private health insurance is eligible for Covered Ca plans. Qualifying for the low-cost or free health insurance (Medi-Cal) is determined mainly by income and other factors, including:

• Your income is up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level for Adults and up to 266% for children.
• You already receive assistance from CalFresh, SSI/SSP, CalWorks (AFDC), refuge assistance and foster care or adoption assistance program.
• Other factors include being blind, disabled, over 65 or under 21, pregnant, and more.

One free way to determine if you qualify for free health insurance in California is to call Acceptance Insurance at 877-423-5651. Our bilingual agents will walk you through applying for health insurance and find out if you qualify for free or low-cost care.

Open enrollment is from Nov. 1, 2024, through Jan. 31, 2025. During this time, anyone who qualifies for health insurance through California’s health marketplace may apply. If you miss open enrollment, you may only apply for a Covered CA health plan if you have a life-changing event that qualifies you for Special Enrollment. Applying for free or low-cost health care through Medi-Cal is available all year long.

Applying for Covered CA health insurance is a simple process with the help of Acceptance agents, but you can gather some documents you will need to answer questions. Some of these documents will also need to be submitted with your application. They include:

• Social security numbers for all household members
• Birthdates
• Income information (paystubs, tax returns)
• Current health insurance information
• Documents verifying your citizenship or legal immigrant status

In some cases, your income may qualify you for financial help in the form of a monetary stipend. In this way, you will receive affordable care that is partially paid for by the government. At the end of the year when you file your taxes, if you have received too much help based on your income you may owe money. On the other hand, if you have not received enough help, you may receive a refund.

This health insurance marketplace offers 4 levels of care through tiers. For those who do not qualify for free care through Medi-Cal, you can still receive very affordable care through California’s marketplace. These 4 levels determine the amount of the premium, plus the amount of out-of-pocket expenses, as well as type of coverage you’ll receive (HPO, PPO, etc). The levels are:

• Platinum: Highest premium, but pays 90% of health care expenses
• Gold: Pays 80% of health care expenses
• Silver: Pays 70% of health care expenses
• Bronze: Lowest premium, but pays 60% of covered health expenses

According to California state law, your plan must contain legally required minimum coverage to avoid a tax penalty. Call an Acceptance agent to find out if you qualify for a free or low-cost health insurance plan.

Yes. California is one of only a few remaining states that penalizes its residents for not carrying health insurance. California has not released its tax penalty that will be assessed when you file your 2024 taxes in 2025. The flat rate tax penalty last year was $900 per adult and $450 per dependent child under 18. This means a family of four without insurance for all of 2024 could face penalties of $2,700.

You can cancel your plan at any time. For example, if you are hired by an employer that offers health insurance benefits, you may want to cancel your Covered CA plan. You may cancel for any reason.

However, if you want to make changes to your plan, you’ll have to wait for open enrollment to come back around unless you’ve have a qualifying life change that makes you eligible for special enrollment. Some things that qualify for special enrollment include:

• Losing your health insurance (job loss or other reason)
• Moving
• Getting married or having a baby
• Income falls below a certain level

**Disclaimer: Eligibility for California residents centered on American Rescue Plan expanded Marketplace subsidies based on federal poverty level. Restrictions apply.  Freeway Insurance Services America, LLC. Licensed as Accident and Health Broker (CA License #6002326). Other rates, service fees, restrictions and charges may apply.

THE WEBSITE IS OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY ACCEPTANCE INSURANCE WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT. THIS SITE IS NOT MAINTAINED BY OR AFFILIATED WITH COVERED CALIFORNIA, AND COVERED CALIFORNIA BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS CONTENT. THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS THAT APPEAR THROUGHOUT THIS SITE BELONG TO ACCEPTANCE INSURANCE AND CANNOT BE USED TO CONTACT COVERED CALIFORNIA.