Health Insurance is changing in California. Effective January 1st the State Health exchanges open. Health plans will be sold through the State Health Exchanges and plans will also continue to be sold on the private market.
What you need to know:
Our office will sell plans on and off of the exchange. We are a one stop shop.
It will not cost you any more to work with our office.
Open enrollment starts 10/01/2013 to apply for a plan with an effective date of 01/01/2014.
Why would I sign up with a covered California Plan?
Some people will be eligible for health insurance premium subsidies. Subsidies are only offered on plans purchased on the exchange. We can help you quote and apply for a plan.
What income level do I use to project my household income?
Eligibility for Medi-Cal and Covered California subsidies will be based on a household’s Modified
Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI). For most taxpayers, MAGI is the same as Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
which can be found on Line 4 on a Form 1040EZ, Line 21 on a Form 1040A, or Line 37 on a Form 1040.
Taxpayers who receive non-taxable Social Security benefits, earn income living abroad, or earn nonexempt
interest should add back that income to AGI to calculate MAGI.
Medi-Cal eligibility will be determined excluding the following types of income: scholarships, awards, or
fellowship grants used for education purposes and not for living expenses, and certain American Indian
and Alaska Native income derived from distributions, payments, ownership interests, real property usage
rights, and student financial assistance.
Can the health insurers deny me coverage?
Starting January 1rst 2014 there will not be any medical underwriting so you can’t get turned down for a preexisting condition. There are still other criteria you must meet. We can help you quote and apply for a plan.
Will my health insurance premiums increase?
Health insurance premiums on several factors, such as age, # of people you are insuring, and annual household income. Some people will be eligible for premium subsidies if they make under a certain household income level, these people will likely see rate decreases due to the subsidies. Others who make over the household income threshold will likely see a rate increase, although not everyone will.
How do I get a quote and apply for coverage?
You can quote and apply for plans at https://baxterinsurance.com/health/individual-health-insurance-2/ During the week of October 1rst 2013 we will also be launching www.healthinsurancehelper.org which will be an online portal owned and run by our office to specifically help our clients quote and apply for health insurance. You can also always call us for a fast and free phone health insurance quote at 805-963-4048 8:30AM-5:30 PM PST.
What else do I need to know?
Covered California appears to be slow to get up and running during the week of October 1 2013. They do not have everything setup yet.
