Here are the dates you need to know for Covered California open enrollment in 2016.
At this point, most people are at least relatively familiar with the fact that healthcare has changed in America. Whether they refer to those changes as the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, or by another name, they know that things like how they get their coverage, how much they pay for it, and when they can get it have been altered.
Do you know the specifics, though? If you’re not fully informed about 2016 Covered California deadlines, you could miss out on your opportunity to get or update coverage when you have the chance. Here are a few important dates to mark on your calendar for open enrollment 2016.
- November 1st: The first day of next month marks the official opening of open enrollment for the year. During open enrollment, you can buy an individual health insurance policy if you’re currently uninsured or make changes to your existing coverage.
- December 15th: If you want to have coverage that takes effect by January 1st (which you should if you want to avoid tax penalties), you need to get your policy by this date.
- December 31st: When 2015 ends, coverage for all 2015 plans end. If you didn’t make any changes to your plan by this date, it will auto-renew for 2016.
- January 31st: This is the last day you can buy a new policy or make changes to your coverage, since it’s the last day of open enrollment.
Of course, remembering to obtain or change your coverage during the upcoming open enrollment period becomes much easier if you have a dedicated insurance agent reminding you of deadlines and guiding you through the process! For that kind of service in Arcadia and the neighboring California cities, contact the health insurance experts at Weaver & Associates Inc.
