Email from Covered California to Certified Insurance Agents, March 31, 2014
Important Message About Open Enrollment
Record-setting numbers of people trying to sign up for Covered California™ health insurance plans overwhelmed the system on the final day of open enrollment, prompting the exchange to allow consumers who had trouble enrolling by the deadline to work with a Certified Insurance Agent to finish their application by April 15. Because of the staggering demands on the system, Covered California announced the following policy this afternoon:
- Consumers who were unable to create an online account or start their online application because of technical difficulties can contact a Covered California Certified Insurance Agent to explain that they attempted to get through on March 31 and experienced difficulties. Those consumers will have until 11:59 p.m. April 15 to work with the Certified Insurance Agent to complete their application and choose a plan.
- Consumers who created an online account and completed the first page of the application by 11:59 p.m. March 31, 2014, will be able to complete their application for the open-enrollment period, either by themselves online or with the help of a Certified Insurance Agent. Consumers must complete the application and select a plan by 11:59 p.m. April 15, 2014. Those enrollees will receive coverage effective May 1, 2014.
- Certified Insurance Agents who are having a difficult time helping consumers apply through Covered California’s enrollment website should assist consumers using a paper application. The Certified Insurance Agent can then enter the information into our enrollment website. Completed applications (with plan selections) must be entered byApril 15, 2014 (by 11:59 p.m.).
- When entering the paper application, please make sure you select the “Open Enrollment” category when responding to the question, “What is the ‘life event’ causing you to re-apply.” When responding to the“When did this ‘life event’ occur,” you should input 3/31/2014. Consumers may receive a May 1, 2014 effective date with their selected plan.
###
Certified Insurance Agent Enrollment
If the Covered California email to agent is correct, they will be letting Certified Insurance Agents enter applications on behalf of Californians who were not able to enroll as of March 31, 2014, because of technical difficulties with the website. Below is a Covered California paper application that has been modified to accept computer entered text into the field for name, address, phone, and additional pertinent information. You can download the pdf document, fill it out, save it to your hard disk and then email it to your favorite Certified Insurance Agent…hmmm, now who could that be? If all goes according to plan and Covered California doesn’t surprise us with other conditions, agents should be able to many families locked out by the website melt down on March 31, 2014.
[wpdm_package id=225]