Sign Up by March 31 to Avoid a Penalty
L.A. Care Health Plan is joining Covered California in promoting its extended enrollment period through April 30. Covered California had more than 418,000 new enrollees in the open enrollment period that ended January 31, a 41% increase from the year before, but the state-based exchange believes the number should have been even higher. A survey found that too many residents did not know about the new state subsidy and the state penalty for those who don’t have insurance. So, Covered California launched an ad campaign this week to let people know they have more time to sign up.
You now have until April 30 to apply for coverage if you just learned about the new financial help or the new state penalty. Nearly 32,000 middle-income enrollees, who were previously ineligible for any federal support, qualified for the new state subsidy. Each received assistance of an average $500 per month because of the new eligibility for those earning up to 600% of the Federal Poverty level, which is $74,940 for an individual and $154,500 for a family of four. Covered California believes as many as 40,000 more are eligible and just didn’t know about the change.
The extension also gives people more time to sign up without facing the new state penalty, which can be up to $2,000 for a family of four. People who didn’t know about the new state penalty also have until April 30 to sign up.
While the special enrollment period will run until the end of April, people must sign up by March 31 to have no penalty. Consumers who enroll after March 31 will have a pro-rated penalty of one third-of the annual penalty amount.
L.A. Care Covered, L.A. Care’s product on the exchange, is working to get the word out and hopes to add to the nearly 90,000 enrollees now covered in the plan. To get a quote on an L.A. Care Covered plan, please click here.