New Covered California enrollment period begins Saturday

The second period of Covered California’s open enrollment starts Saturday, and enrollment counselors and agents are gearing up for what they believe will be three very busy months.

The window to sign up for health insurance or renew coverage will run from Saturday to Feb. 15, 2015. During the first enrollment period, about 1.2 million Californians signed up for coverage. Officials aim to increase that number to 1.7 million the second time around.

Those looking for help can find assistance in various Merced locations.

This Saturday, Golden Valley Health Centers, 727 W. Childs Ave., and Healthy House Within a Multidisciplinary Approach to Cross-Cultural Health Coalition, 301 W. 18th St., will be hosting enrollment kickoff events starting at 9 a.m.

Consumers should bring with them the following documents: a California identification card or driver’s license, their Social Security card, proof of current income, 2013 income taxes along with W-2 forms, and a legal resident card or naturalization certificate.

Mary-Michal Rawling, program manager at GVHC, said enrollment counselors at the clinic centers processed about 1,474 Covered California applications and 2,355 Medi-Cal applications during the first open period. This time around, the goal is to cover another 1,000 individuals through Covered California and about a similar number for Medi-Cal, Rawling said.

“The time period is half as long, but there is still the same urgency,” she said. “There are still some people that we missed the first time around and then those who didn’t realize the importance of getting covered. There are also some people who may have had coverage before and lost it.”

This year, the centers will offer days of extended hours. On Wednesday, enrollment counselors will be available at the GVHC location in the El Portal Center in North Merced from 5 to 8 p.m. to assist those who cannot make regular office hours because of work. After hours will work on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Livingston Medical Group and Catholic Charities of Merced also provide enrollment assistance throughout the open period.

However, those looking for more detailed descriptions comparing insurance company options may also want to seek help from a Covered California agent.

Alejandro Hernandez, a certified health insurance agent in Merced, estimates he and his insurance partner helped 1,200 individuals sign up for coverage last year out of their 1717 M St. office.

“We just want people to know they have options, and agents are here all year around to help with questions, concerns and even payment problems – we have that access,” Hernandez said.

According to Hernandez, during the first enrollment period he met with many people who didn’t understand the difference between insurance providers available through Covered California. “At first glance, most people will go for whatever is cheaper,” Hernandez said, “but once we go over their health needs and what each insurance company has to offer, then they are able to make a more educated decision.”

For example, Blue Shield coverage tends to be pricier because it typically offers more network providers than Anthem Blue Cross, Hernandez said. “If you’re a sickly person, and think you’ll need specialists, you may want to pay the extra dollars. But if you’re a fairly healthy person, Anthem might be the more affordable choice.”

Hernandez says he can assist customers with details about deductibles, copays and premiums. From his experience, his customers are the most satisfied with Covered California’s Silver plan, because it offers federal subsidies to those who qualify.

According to Hernandez, that is the type of information only certified insurance agents can thoroughly explain. He also advises customers to be very careful about reading small print and information in footnotes.

Hernandez’s office will also be open on Saturday starting at 10 a.m.

Covered California officials encourage those seeking to renew their coverage to also use the shop-and-compare tool on the website to make sure their current plan is still the best fit.

During a conference call Wednesday morning, Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, said very few people doing renewals will have to make changes necessitated by their plans no longer being available. Some will have to shop for new plans because of income change, but the vast majority will be able to keep their same plan.

This story was originally published November 13, 2014 at 7:50 PM with the headline "New Covered California enrollment period begins Saturday."