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Buying Health Coverage on CoveredCA

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    Buying Health Coverage on CoveredCA

    How to Sign Up

    Covered California is the best way for you to get an individual health plan. In the past you had to call up each individual insurance company or go through an insurance broker if you wanted to buy your own health insurance, but Covered California provides a one-stop shop where you can compare plans and figure out which one is right for you. Also, remember that it is the only place where you can get government help to pay for your individual plan.

    Getting started with Covered California

    When you first look at Covered California , just try to get a sense of what your options are so that you can make an informed decision when you are ready. As you use Covered California, there may be times when you will be confused or even think there is a mistake. There are people who can help answer your questions. Get help by calling Covered California at 1-800-300-1506 or 1-888-889-4500 (TTY) or get local help. You can also use the Online Chat feature if you want to copy-and-paste a record of what was said. It is important to make sure that you get the best and most affordable plan for your situation.

    Open enrollment

    Anybody who wants to sign up for an individual plan can do so now, until open enrollment ends.

    Usually, you can only sign up for an insurance plan through Covered California during a certain time called open enrollment. To sign up for an individual plan that will cover you during 2025, you must sign up between November 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025.

    If you do not sign up during that time, you will usually not be allowed to sign up for an individual plan through Covered California until another year has passed. That means you might not be able to get coverage for an entire year.

    Special Enrollment

    There are certain situations when you can sign up for an individual plan through Covered California even though it is not the usual open enrollment period:

    • Your household income is at or below 150% of FPG
    • If you lose other health coverage you had
    • If your income changes and you gain or lose eligibility for government help paying for your coverage
    • If you become a legal resident of the United States
    • If you move
    • If there was a mistake in your enrollment
    • In other life-changing circumstances, such as having a child or getting married

    Note: American Indians do not have these restrictions on enrollment.

    Visit Covered California

    The best way for you to get an idea of what you could get through Covered California is for you to browse its website or call the Covered California call center at 1-800-300-1506 or 1-888-889-4500 (TTY).

    You don’t have to sign up for a plan immediately, unless the open enrollment period is about to end. What you should do is research the options listed and get good advice about other alternatives.

    When you should not use Covered California

    Before you start looking into an individual plan, make sure you talk with your employer to see if your family is covered by an employer-sponsored plan. If you are, you will not be eligible to get government help paying for an individual plan.

    Learn more

    Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage

    Your job, your parent's job, or your spouse's job may offer private health coverage as a benefit.

    Medi-Cal

    Medi-Cal covers people with and without disabilities who have low income.

    Medicare

    Medicare is public health coverage for people with disabilities and seniors.