Helping You Find the Best Health Insurance For You and Your Family

The cost of an individual health insurance plan varies on a number of factors. These factors include your age, location, level of the coverage you choose, and if you qualify for subsidies through the Covered California program. The proportion of covered health care expenses determines a policy's tier level and your out-of-pocket costs. Getting an accurate health insurance quote can be done by contacting a Health Insurance Broker near you.

Typically, the open enrollment period ends in December for coverage starting in January of the following year. Covered California is known for extending open enrollment periods for various reasons. If you miss the deadline to apply, change or renew your health coverage, you may qualify for a special enrollment period if you have a qualifying life event. The most common qualifying life event are life changes, such as having a new baby, getting married, permanently moving to California, or involuntary losing existing health coverage.

California residents must have qualifying health coverage. If they do not acquire sufficient health insurance, they must pay a tax penalty applied by the California Franchise Tax Board. The year's penalty payment is approximately $750 per adult and an additional $375 per dependent child under 18. However, a new state subsidy program expands the financial benefits to more people throughout the state, lowering monthly premiums for many who did not previously qualify for assistance. Some exceptions may be eligible for an exemption, depending on your unique circumstances. To avoid this fine:

• Enroll in a qualified health care plan.
• If you miss the deadline to enroll, see if you qualify for a special enrollment period due to a qualifying life event.
• Have proof of a valid exemption.

A Preferred Provider Organization policy is a type of health plan that creates a network of participating providers by contracting with specific doctors, hospitals and other medical providers. With this kind of policy, you pay less for health care if you choose providers included in the plan's network. You may still use health care facilities outside of your policy's network, but you pay additional costs. These flexible plans are often preferred since they allow you to visit any in-network provider without a primary care physician referral.

A Health Maintenance Organization option provides coverage for an annual or monthly fee. It limits your care options to providers who contract or work for the HMO. This contract agreement system results in lower premiums for the insured. This policy type does not allow for out-of-network care and often requires that you reside or work in a specific coverage area to receive insurance benefits. An HMO focuses on wellness and preventative health care appointments.

The ACA is a health care reform law established in March 2010 that provides various protections and rights that make health insurance more affordable and easier to understand. The legislation addresses the costs, coverage and preventative care of health care. This act has three primary objectives:

• It aims to make health insurance available and affordable to more people by providing tax credits or subsidies that lower out-of-pocket expenses for households with lower income levels.
• This law supports new medical application methods that can help lower the overall costs of health care.
• The act expands the Medicaid program to cover more adults below the federal poverty level. California fully implemented this law, creating an insurance marketplace based in the state and extending the Medi-Cal program to low-income single adults without children.

The California Premium Subsidy limits the amount you pay for your premium based on a percentage of your annual income. California expanded its subsidies to help people in the middle-class pay for health insurance. This increased availability lowers the premium costs for over a million people in the state. 90% of California residents who enroll in coverage receive financial assistance to pay their monthly premiums. You can calculate potential health plan savings by using Covered California's shop and compare tools.