Covered California launched a new television ad campaign on Monday to reach uninsured Californians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ads support Covered California’s new special-enrollment period, which started on Feb. 1 and runs through May 15, to let uninsured Californians know that they still have time to sign up for health insurance.
“Taking care of your health has never more important than it is right now, and we want everyone to know that if you do not have health insurance, the time is now to check out Covered California and see if you are eligible for financial help to lower the cost of your coverage,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California. “You do not want to be uninsured right now and anyone who needs coverage – and is eligible to sign up through Covered California – can do so immediately.”
The ads began airing Monday in California’s biggest media markets, in both English and Spanish, to make sure that consumers know that enrollment is open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Covered California says they are investing more than $6 million over the next few months to encourage consumers to check out their options.
Nearly 90 percent of Covered California’s enrollees, or about 1.4 million people, receive financial help that lowers the cost of their monthly premium by an average 80 percent.
Of those receiving financial help, almost half — more than 660,000 — benefit from the state subsidy program launched in 2020 to make coverage more affordable, including 46,400 middle-income consumers who were previously ineligible for assistance because they exceeded the federal income requirements.
Federal Special-Enrollment Period
Covered California’s new television ad campaign coincides with the start of a new special-enrollment period for the 36 states who operate in the federal marketplace.
The federal special-enrollment period is the result of President Joe Biden’s executive order which reopened federal health care marketplaces from Feb. 15 to May 15 due to the pandemic.
In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services plans to spend $50 million on outreach and education to promote the special-enrollment period and encourage enrollment.
Shop and Compare
Those interested in applying for coverage can explore their options — and find out whether they are eligible for financial help — in just a few minutes by using the Shop and Compare Tool at CoveredCA.com.
Simply enter ZIP code, household income and the ages of those who need coverage to find out which plans are available in their area.
Consumers who can afford health care coverage, but choose to go without, could pay a penalty when filing their state income taxes in 2022.
The penalty is administered by California’s Franchise Tax Board, and could be as much as $2,250 for a family of four.