Health Insurance

The United States is a country with the most expensive medical expenses in the world. A general outpatient, surgery or emergency charge can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. Health insurance protects you from unexpected high medical costs.

The penalty for not having coverage the entire year will be at least $800 per adult and $400 per dependent child under 18 in the household when you file your state income tax return.

After the implementation of Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), major insurance companies can only accept the purchase and change of health insurance plans during the open enrollment period which from November 1st of each year to the end of January 31st of the following year. The enrollment end period can be varies if there is a special circumstance.

You can apply for a health plan outside open enrollment (or make changes to your current plan) if you’ve experienced one of these qualifying life events, usually within the last 60 days. The effective date of the insurance is the 1st of the following month after submitting the application.

• Gained U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
• Had a baby or adopted a child
• Moved to/within California
• Lost existing health coverage, including job-based individual plans
• Got married or divorced
• Turned 26 and lost coverage through a parent’s plan
• Death in the family
• Lost eligibility for Medicaid/Medi-Cal
• Returned from active-duty military service
• Released from incarceration

Medi-Cal is California's Medicaid program. Medi-Cal gives people with low incomes access to health services without paying insurance premiums and medical expenses. However, the contracted medical network is very limited and usually the waiting period of the medical appointment is longer.

*In some cases, monthly premium for children under 18 yrs old may required.

Subsidized health insurance and Medi-Cal insurance cannot exist at the same time. If you currently hold a Medi-Cal insurance, you need to contact the Department of Social Services to cancel your Medi-Cal insurance, even if it is not during the open enrollment period of health insurance. After the Medi-Cal insurance is cancelled, then it is eligible as special enrollment period. You can apply for the subsidized health insurance within 60 days. After the application is submitted, it will be effective on the 1st of the following month.

Covered California refers to the standards in the Federal Poverty Level to provide premium subsidies according to different household sizes and adjusted gross income on the 1040 tax form. The variety Silver plans are depend on the income ranges.