Covered California 2021 Open Enrollment Gets Underway
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Enrollment for the Covered California health insurance marketplace has opened for 2021.
The open enrollment period began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 31, 2021. During open enrollment people can either buy a plan, renew or change their current plan, or enroll in Medi-Cal.
About 1.5 million Californians are currently enrolled in health insurance through Covered California. 88% of those receive some form of federal or state subsidies.
Back in August, the agency announced that premiums will rise by an average of only 0.6% in 2021, the lowest mark ever since the Affordable Care Act was established a decade ago.
Without any subsidies, the monthly premium for a Covered California consumer averages $587. However, in 2020, the average Covered California consumer was paying only $130 per month because of the federal tax credits and state subsidies.
In 2020, the rate rose by only 0.8%. That came after serious spikes of 13.2%, 12.5% and 8.7% respectively between 2017 and 2019.
Over the past few years the California Legislature has made serious efforts to keep premium hikes low. In June of 2019, the legislature approved a bill which brings back the individual mandate and institutes a tax penalty for those who don't buy health insurance.
