Covered California has started the process of getting Californians prepared for the renewal of their health insurance for 2016 .
As a first measure in the months of July/August, Covered California has sent out notification letters to current enrollees to verify Proof of citizenship or legal status, Proof of Income, Proof of Minimum Essential Coverage, Consent for Authorization Notice and Non-Tax Filers Notice.
Let me explain some of them below:
Proof of citizenship or legal status: In this letter Covered California is requesting that you send them the documents proving that you are a legal resident or citizen of the United States. For those who have it, a US passport or American birth certificate is sufficient. If you are a resident, your “green card” or your legal Visa is sufficient. You can directly upload the information onto your Covered CA Account or your agent can upload it for you. You can also mail or fax it to Covered CA.
Consent for Authorization Notice: In this letter, Covered California is asking you to consent that they can verify your income electronically, meaning they can verify with the IRS your income and family size. The IRS data is the financial data that your subsidy is based on . You yourself can “update the Consent for Verification” by logging into your Covered CA account, or, your agent can upload it for you. You may also contact Covered California over the phone.
Non-Tax Filers Notice: This notice will let you know that you have not filed taxes and that you will not receive future subsidies, if taxes are not filed. In order to avoid this, file your taxes for 2014 and upload them in the system either yourself or through your agent.
Proof of Income: Covered California is requesting proof of income. You can send them your pay checks for the last 60 days or, if you are self employed, your Profit & Loss of 2015. You yourself can upload the info in the system, or you can ask the help of your agent.
Proof of Minimum Essential Coverage: You need to state in a letter that you are not receiving any other health coverage benefits, for example through an employer. Again this letter needs to be uploaded, you yourself or your agent can do this.
When receiving a renewal letter from Covered California and health insurance carriers in the mid October 2015, you might not know what all of this means. We at Solid Health Insurance Services are here to help you!
Before the start of every new year your Covered California and your individual health insurance plan has to be renewed. Go to your account and make sure that your information on family members, date of birth, address and email are up to date. You can change your health plan, add or remove members from your plan or edit information such as your address or your income. Members who don’t take action before December 15, 2016 will be automatically enrolled in the same plan. This may effect your premium assistance.
If you signed up for Covered California through an agent don’t hesitate to ask him or her for further support.
For an independent review of your health insurance needs for 2016 and to see if you qualify for a subsidy in the health insurance exchange of Covered California, please contact Solid Health Insurance Services. Our mission is to help people in Los Angeles and all over California find an affordable health plan that fits their individual needs.