Covered California generates a denial letter before they create an acceptance letter for some 2018 applicants.
Individuals and families applying for a health insurance through Covered California for the first time during open enrollment for 2018 will receive a confusing letter telling them they have been denied coverage. This is because with first time applicants the Covered California system checks eligibility for the current year, 2017, first. Then it checks eligibility for the next enrollment year 2018.
Open enrollment can be a confusing time for the Covered California system. People are renewing plans for 2018, reporting changes for 2017, enrolling for health insurance for 2017, and applying for coverage for 2018. If you are new to Covered California, then the system by default checks to see if you are eligible for health insurance for 2017, even if you are only applying for 2018.
On the Eligibility Status page Covered California will note they evaluated for 2017 coverage and found to be ineligible.
Part of the reasoning behind this is that some people who have a qualifying event for a Special Enrollment period and may be eligible for coverage in 2017. Upon submitting your application for 2018, the Covered California system checks your eligibility for 2017. If the system finds you ineligible, which you mostly likely are because you are not applying for 2017 coverage, the system automatically generates a letter informing you that you are not eligible for 2017 coverage.
The first letter after the 2018 application will state you are ineligible for 2017, even though you applied for 2018.
If you are eligible for 2018 coverage, the system generates a second letter congratulating you on your eligibility for Covered California health insurance with the premium tax credits. The letters look almost identical. If you carefully review the letters you’ll notice the first one cites that the eligibility is for 2017. You should shortly receive a second letter that notes the eligibility for 2018.
The second letter cites the 2018 benefit year that you applied for, and were hopefully found eligible for the tax credits.
To locate the letters, open your Covered California account. Scroll down to Manage My Account and click on the View Eligibility Results. Then click on the Summary link with the green dot check marked. Click on Documents and Correspondence. You should see to letters, the second one generated shortly after the first. The first letter will be the denial letter the second will be for the acceptance letter.
From your home page, scroll down to View Eligibility Results to get to the Summary page and the Documents and Correspondence page.
The Documents and Correspondence page will show the two letters, one denying coverage and the second finding you eligible.