Enrollment deadline for Covered California nears as big price hikes are set to take effect
The countdown is on to Christmas and Covered California's enrollment deadline, with big price hikes set to take effect.
More than 100,000 people in Sacramento alone use Covered California for their health care insurance plans. For those people, their costs are set to double starting Jan. 1, when tax credits approved during the pandemic expire.
In all the excitement surrounding Christmas, A.J. Okocha has not started preparing for what comes next. He is one of the thousands who could see his Covered California health insurance rates rise if he doesn't change plans or drop his coverage altogether.
"I think it's going to be a big impact," Okocha said. "It's funny because I've been having my calls to actually renew health insurance. I haven't answered the phone."
Jessica Altman is the CEO of Covered California and has been warning enrollees that their healthcare bills could double starting next year without Congress extending healthcare tax credits.
"So Dec. 31 is the drop-dead deadline for your health plan to begin on Jan. 1," Altman said. "New signups are down. So this is not people already enrolled renewing, this is new people coming in, shopping and enrolling for coverage."
The sudden impact of increases to healthcare costs is now just days away.
"You may have to go and shop for a new healthcare plan," CBS13's Steve Large asked Okocha.
"I will indeed," Okocha said.
For Okocha, he's now adding healthcare to his holiday shopping list.
If you enroll in January, your plan will start on Feb. 1.