Beginning November 1, and running through January 31, 2016, Covered California will operate its annual Open Enrollment period. During this time, you can enroll in a health insurance policy or make changes to your existing policy.
Amante and Associates is here to help!
Those of you who are already enrolled in a health insurance plan may be wondering whether you need to do anything at all. You might receive a card in the mail, informing you that your health insurance plan has been renewed. This indicates that your plan will automatically renew if you do nothing at all, and you have thirty days to access the Covered California portal and make any desired changes to your plan.
You might feel as though you are happy with your current plan, but it never hurts to comparison shop. Logging into the system and spending a few minutes browsing new plans that have become available could save you hundreds of dollars (or more) in the coming year. You might also consider whether your health care needs are changing in the coming year. If you’re anticipating a major medical event, such as a surgery or birth of a new child, you might save money by switching to a plan with a lower deductible.
Even if your plan is set to automatically renew, and you’re happy with it, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything. You should still update your financial information. Otherwise, any help you receive to pay for your premiums could be miscalculated.
If your plan does not automatically renew, or you don’t have a Covered California health care plan yet, then we can help you to compare policies. Remember that the Individual Mandate requires you to enroll in a health care plan, or face a penalty at tax time.
Not enrolled in Covered California? This still applies to you. Open enrollment for individuals and families enrolled in a private market plan is November 1st, through January 31st. If your current plan is working well and you do not wish to make any changes, you will automatically be renewed. If you wish to shop the market or make any changes Amante and Associates will assist you with just that.
We understand that this process is still very new to most people and it can be confusing. We’re here to assist you with Covered California, private market plans, and all other aspects of your health insurance coverage. If you’re not clear on what you need to do, just give us a call at 951-676-8800.
