As SARS CoV-2 has continued to spread across Los Angeles, California, and throughout the United States, Covered California has announced that the Special Enrollment Period has been extended for those impacted by COVID-19 through August 31st. Anyone who has been impacted can apply by the last day of August for a September 1st effective date. This also applies to off-exchange or for those that apply directly to an insurance carrier. Anyone who is currently uninsured can now apply until the end of July for an August 1st effective date. Originally, the expanded COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period was through the end of June, then extended to end of July and now through the end of August.
Covered CA’s data shows that 231,040 people have signed up for health insurance through Covered California between March 20 and July 25, which is more than double the same period last year. With the special enrollment period extension through August, we should see continued growth year-over-year in the number of enrollees.
Furthermore, most health insurance companies have continued to waive the member cost-share for both testing and treatment for COVID-19. Please see below for the latest end dates for waived member cost-share for COVID-19 treatment.
- Blue Shield of CA – waived through September 30th
- Anthem Blue Cross – waived through December 31st
- Health Net – waived period termination date undefined
- Kaiser – waived through December 31st
- MolinaCare – waived through December 31st
- Oscar- waived through September 30th
If you are uncertain about if you should go and visit a doctor, please first take advantage of your insurer’s telemedicine provider and schedule an appointment with a doctor on call. Learn more about telemedicine during COVID-19 by checking our recent blog at https://solidhealthinsurance.com/telemedicine-during-covid-19/
If you are currently uninsured or will soon be uninsured, or have a change of income please contact us at Solid Health Insurance Services at 310-909-6135 or at info@solidhealthinsurance.com and we will be happy to assist you with your health insurance options during this Special Enrollment Period. At Solid Health Insurance Services, we strive to assist our clients in finding the right health, dental, vision, life, and long-term care that meets both your budget and medical needs.