SACRAMENTO >> Covered California, the state’s health insurance exchange, is urging consumers to sign up for a 2017 health care plan by midnight Thursday if they want their coverage to start on Jan. 1.
While open enrollment continues through Jan. 31, afer Thursday, their plan will kick in on either Feb. 1 or March 1.
Many consumers are worried about about President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. But most health care experts say it will take at least a year, and they advise enrolling in a 2017 plan.
“Covered California is open for business and consumers have two more days to get in and get the protection they deserve starting on January 1,” Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, said in a statement.
“We stand ready to help consumers understand their options and determine whether they qualify for financial assistance to help pay for their coverage,” he said.
In 2017, Covered California is offering plans from 11 health insurance companies, seven of them available in the Bay Area: Anthem Blue Cross of California, Blue Shield of California, Chinese Community Health Plan, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente, Oscar Health Plan of California, and Valley Health Plan.
Kaiser Permanente has expanded coverage to Santa Cruz County in 2017, while Oscar is offering coverage only in San Francisco County.
The exchange said almost all consumers will have at least three insurers to choose from in their region, and none will have fewer than two. In addition, more than 93 percent of hospitals in California will be available through at least one health insurance company in 2017, and 74 percent will be available in three or more plans, the exchange said.
Since open enrollment began on Nov. 1, the exchange this week confirmed that 1.2 million existing enrollees have renewed their health insurance plans, while another 139,000 new enrollees have signed up for coverage.
Last year, 1.4 million Californians signed up for a Covered California plan.
Since Jan. 1, 2014, about 3.8 million Californians also have enrolled under a provision of the law that allows single adults without children to sign up for Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California), which provides coverage to the state’s poor.
Enrollment in Medi-Cal continues year-round.
Consumers interested in learning more about enrolling should go to CoveredCA.com or call (800) 300-1506.
