California: @CoveredCA enrollment up 5.3% y/y so far; #GetCovered by New Year's Eve for coverage starting Jan. 1st!

Wed, 12/27/2023 - 1:38pm

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With a key deadline coming up on Dec. 31, Covered California announced that 161,670 people have signed up for 2024 coverage as of Dec. 23 during this open enrollment, marking an 18 percent increase over the same period last year and the highest during this same period in four years.

Another 1,571,559 Californians have renewed their coverage so far.

That's 1,733,229 QHP selections to date. By comparison, last year the combined new+renewal enrollment in CA was 1,676,616 through 12/24, meaning the 2024 Open Enrollment Period is actually running more like 5.3% higher than last year on a per day basis:

2023 OEP: 31,048/day (54 days)
2024 OEP: 32,702/day (53 days)

Looked at another way, the total 2024 enrollment has reached 99.6% of last year's final OEP enrollment of 1,739,368, and 97.5% of the 2022 OEP's final tally of 1,777,442 enrollees (the all-time record for the state). They only need 44,213 more by the end of January to beat that.

“The robust enrollment we have seen so far highlights how much Californians value affordable health care coverage,” said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. “California has strived to make health insurance more affordable for more people, and it is vital for the remaining uninsured in the state to look into their options before the end of the year and sign up.”

With the first open-enrollment deadline of Dec. 31 quickly approaching, Covered California is urging consumers to sign up now so they can have their health care coverage begin on Jan. 1. Open enrollment will end on Jan. 31.

Increased Affordability With Most Financial Help Ever Offered in 2024

In 2024, Covered California will offer more financial help for Californians than ever before. Building on the existing federal subsidies to help pay for health insurance premiums, Covered California is offering a new program that will reduce the cost of accessing health care for consumers by lowering out-of-pocket costs when they seek medical care, including eliminating deductibles in all three Silver cost-sharing reduction plans.

The new cost-sharing reduction program for out-of-pocket costs will be available to Californians with incomes up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, or $33,975 for single enrollees and $69,375 for families of four. Currently, 650,000 existing Covered California enrollees are eligible to take advantage of this program, and over 80,000 new enrollees have qualified for these cost savings and richer benefits.

Nearly 90 percent of Covered California’s over 1.6 million enrollees receive financial help. Two-thirds of those enrollees are eligible for health insurance for $10 or less per month, and nearly half could get a comprehensive Silver plan for that price.

Signing Up for Coverage Is Easy

Consumers can learn more about their options by visiting CoveredCA.com, where they can easily find out if they qualify for financial help and see the coverage options in their area. Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also:

Get free and confidential assistance over the phone, in a variety of languages, from one of more than 14,000 certified agents and community-based organizations throughout the state that provide free, confidential help in whatever language or dialect consumers prefer.

Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.

Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.

“Navigating the health care system can be complicated, but whether you fill out your own application on CoveredCA.com or contact one of our Navigator partners or one of our over 14,000 agents to get help with the language you prefer to speak, we have a support system set up to assist you into coverage,” Altman said. “Give yourself and your family the peace of mind for the holidays that comes with having health care coverage.”

Consumers must select a health plan by the Dec. 31 deadline to receive coverage for all of 2024.