Kevin Knauss: Health, History, Travel, Insurance
Posts related to the renewal period for health insurance through Covered California, Medi-Cal, Medicare.
If a consumer does not like their plan or rate, they must make changes to their account and actively renew their coverage by December 15th for a plan effective date of January 1, 2019. Changes to the account and plan selection between December 16th and January 15th will have an effective date of February 1, 2019.
One of my clients received a letter from Covered California notifying her that her monthly premium would jump from $63.64 to $993.45 per month. The letter casually stated that the premium increase was 147.2%. The client is a household of two people one eligible for Covered California and the spouse is on Medicare. When I went through the renewal procedure on the updated Covered California website, I had to re-confirm that the spouse was on Medicare. The final eligibility results were that the Medicare spouse could select a plan at the full premium amount while the primary applicant could select a plan with the monthly subsidies.
Several clients have contacted me regarding eligibility determination forms they have received from Medi-Cal, even though some or all of the family members have a Covered California plan with the tax credit subsidy. Even if the household information on the forms is wrong, Covered California consumers should supply the necessary information to their county Medi-Cal office or risk losing their private health plans altogether. Medi-Cal has effectively taken over the functions of Covered California if the family had been in Medi-Cal or if they still have children covered by Medi-Cal.
Covered California has released a list of new and updated documents to help Certified Insurance Agents and Certified Enrollment Counselors assist existing Marketplace exchange members renew their health insurance for 2016. The focus of the renewal tool kit is on consent for verification, immigration and lawful presence, consumers who haven’t filed a 2014 tax return, and […]
Covered California released a breaking news alert to agents on December 12th, 2014, that mixed households, those with children in Medi-Cal and the parents on a Covered California subsidized private plan, may face delays in selecting a health plan until the respective county finishes their review for eligibility. New! Mixed Households: Renewal Update County social services […]
In the confusing landscape of health insurance regulations post ACA implementation, numerous health insurance companies have sent out renewal letters to members with errors. Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Health Net and even Covered California have had to send follow-up letters to correct erroneous information. Unfortunately, this incorrect correspondence only leads to more confusion surrounding the benefits and renewal […]
A major software upgrade to the Covered California online enrollment website has suspended the ability to add a new baby or household member to a family plan until November 4th. This black out period for babies or adoptions applies to current consumers in a Covered California health. The ability to add new household members will […]
Covered California will be hosting bi-monthly webinars for agents, enrollers and navigators on the 2015 renewal and open enrollment period. The first presentation was on the automatic enrollment for existing consumers and some of the technical issues that might occur. The webinar itself, Sales Partner Renewal Webinar October 8th 2014, was approximately 48 minutes long. […]
