Your Insurance . . . with Michele Campbell: Penalty for lack of health insurance is reinstated; sign up now

Covered California is the place to get financial assistance with health insurance in California

By Michele Campbell

Open enrollment for the individual market is coming to an end soon and South County residents don’t miss the deadline.

You have until Jan. 31 to make your final decision, even if you’ve already made a plan change, you can change again.

One very important point: the penalty for being uninsured in California has been reinstated for 2020, making it all the more imperative that you are covered next year.

Covered California:

(On Exchange)

Covered California is the place to get financial assistance with health insurance in California. The lower your income, the higher the financial assistance can be. If you have no income or your income is below a certain threshold, you will qualify for MediCal.

Not only can the financial assistance lower your premium, but can also lower your deductibles and copays.  For certain levels of income, not only are your monthly premiums low, but your out of pocket expenses for healthcare and medicine are quite low also. Pediatric dental plans are embedded on all health plans, including all plans through Covered California.

The applications are quite long and you must enter your information correctly. If you would like help navigating this system or just want an agent to handle it all for you, give us a call.  We’ll simplify the process and get it done right for you, the first time.

Off Exchange:

If you do not qualify for any financial assistance, there is no need to purchase your plan through Covered CA, you can go directly to the insurance company or through an insurance agent to purchase a plan and the application is much shorter as you won’t have to supply a list of personal information on your household and income.

New to Medicare?

Are you just turning 65 or just now retiring? You might be feeling a little overwhelmed if this is your first time looking at Medicare and how it works.  While there is a ton of information out there, it is still very confusing when you’re first learning about it.

First you need to enroll in Medicare, a few months prior to turning 65, or if you’re collecting Social Security, you will be automatically enrolled and your card will be sent to you.

We have been hearing from several South County clients that try to get an appointment with Social Security that the wait is about six to eight weeks out, so don’t wait until the last minute.

Once you get enrolled in the Medicare system, then you can purchase either a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement and a Part D prescription drug plan.

If you’re not sure which way to get coverage, you can ask an Insurance Agent for help to guide you through this process. There is no cost for you to use an agent and we are the only professionals that can advise you on coverage.