The first question here is – is it currently open enrollment season?  If it’s Open Enrollment, you have multiple options to get health insurance coverage immediately.  If it’s past open enrollment for the year, there are still ways to secure health insurance coverage immediately if you need it.

Getting immediate health coverage during Open Enrollment

You can:

• Apply for a marketplace plan through California Exchange. Online applications are the quickest and you’ll find out if you qualify for lower costs on your coverage or if you or your family qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Purchase a marketplace plan directly through an insurance company, usually with the help of an agent
• Find a non-marketplace pan that meets the standards of coverage as dictated by the ACA
• Utilize community health centers if you can’t wait for your coverage to begin or can’t afford a health plan

If you enroll in a Marketplace plan by the 15th of the month, your coverage can start as soon as the 1st of the next month. If you enroll after the 15th, your coverage can start as soon as the month after that. For example, if you enroll by February 16, your coverage could begin April 1.

Remember: Open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace ends March 31, 2014. The next open enrollment period starts November 15, 2014.

Getting immediate health coverage after Open Enrollment

You can:

• Enroll in a private insurance plan – but only if you have a qualifying life event that enables a special enrollment period.  Contact a Brines Insurance agent to see if you qualify.
• You can apply for Medicaid or CHIP any time – there is no “open” enrollment period.
• You can secure employment through an employer offering a new coverage opportunity outside the Marketplace enrollment

If you would like to know more about anything regarding the ACA rollout or anything to do with private insurance plans, the insurance experts at Brines Insurance are ready to skillfully guide you through the choppy healthcare waters until all your concerns have been satisfied.  Give them a call today!