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Open Enrollment is a period of time each year when you can either sign up for or change your health insurance. For the most part if you don’t sign up or change your insurance if needed during the open enrollment period you have to wait until the next open enrollment period. The exceptions to that are for people who have a qualifying life event – loss of employment, marriage or divorce, became a widow or widower, aged off parent’s plan, COBRA insurance expired or a new baby. Covered California is currently in the open enrollment period which began October 15, 2018 and ends January 15, 2019. However, if you qualify for Medi-Cal enrollment is not subject to the open enrollment period because that program has year-round enrollment.
There is a lot to consider when selecting or changing your health plan. If you have a disability or a health condition, be sure to ask before you select a plan:
- Are there a broad range of health care providers included in the health plan’s provider network?
- Are there enough medical specialists in the network to meet your needs?
- Are the medications you need included in the plan’s list of covered drugs? Has the cost sharing changed? Are there other requirements like prior authorization?
- Is there adequate access to non-clinical, disability-specific services and supports?
- Does the plan have service limits, such as caps or limits on the number of office visits for therapy services?
- Are mental health services covered to the same extent that other “physical” health benefits are covered?
If you need help understanding open enrollment or finding out what your options are visit Covered CA Enrollment Help for assistance.
Teresa Anderson, Policy Director, The Arc & UCP Collaboration