Precinct Reporter Group News

Main Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Read Our E-Edition
  • ADVERTISE
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

Precinct Reporter Group News

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Read Our E-Edition
  • ADVERTISE
  • Sydney Kamlager Now CA Senate’s Only Black Woman

  • Vaccines Outreach, Get the Jab

  • Legislators Dig Deep: White Supremacists in Law Enforcement, Military

  • CSU Racist Zoom Bombings Target Black Students, Staff

  • Civil Rights Icon Vernon Jordan Dies at 85

Latest PRGNews
Home›Latest PRGNews›State Extends Health Care Deadline

State Extends Health Care Deadline

By Precinct Reporter News
March 5, 2020
914
0
Share:

Covered California is giving those without health care coverage another chance.

With the new year came new subsidies for middle-income households and a new penalty from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB). Because many people were unaware of the changes, California’s exchange has established a special-enrollment period for people who did not hear about the state penalty or the new financial help during open enrollment.

Consumers who fall into those categories, or who are currently insured off-exchange and want to switch to Covered California to benefit from the new state subsidies, will have until April 30 to sign up for coverage.

“We as a state — whether it is Covered California, the Franchise Tax Board or the governor — do not want anyone to pay a penalty,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee. “We want everyone covered and protected, and that’s why we are giving people more time to enroll.”

People who can afford health insurance coverage, but choose to go without it, could face a penalty when they file their state taxes with the FTB in 2021. The penalty can be more than $2,000 for a family of four.

Covered California, carrying out the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the nation’s most populous state, announced that 418,052 new individuals signed up for health insurance for 2020 during open enrollment, which ran from Oct. 15 to Jan. 31.

The exchange now has over 1.5 million enrollees, but there are hundreds of thousands of people, both low-income and middle-income, who are insured off-exchange but could be saving significant amounts of money if they switched to Covered California to benefit from federal financial help, the new state subsidies, or both.

The state expanded the amount of financial help available to many consumers, including a first-in-the-nation program to help middle-income consumers afford coverage. The new state subsidies could extend to an individual making up to $74,940 and a family of four with a household income of up to $154,500. The average subsidy for eligible middle-income households is $504 per month.

Covered California launched a new campaign to publicize the special-enrollment period, starting with social media messaging and consumers emails on Feb. 16. Television ads in English and Spanish will start March 9 along with radio and digital ads in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean and Vietnamese. This marks Covered California’s first use of television and radio ads to promote a special-enrollment period.

In addition, the FTB has sent letters to more than 2 million households alerting them to the penalty and informing them on how to get coverage. FTB has also worked with tax-filing software companies to include penalty information that consumers will see when they file their taxes this spring. The Department of Motor Vehicles is also playing videos at its offices that describe the penalty to visiting consumers.

“Covered California is working with everyone it can to put consumers first by maximizing the amount of time that people can get covered and minimizing those who are subject to a penalty,” Lee said. “We will make it loud and clear: You must have coverage effective April 1 to avoid paying a penalty.”

Those interested in learning more about their special enrollment options can:

  • Visit CoveredCA.com.
  • Get free and confidential in-person assistance, in a variety of languages, from a certified enroller.
  • Have a certified enroller call them and help them for free.
  • Call Covered California at (855) 295-2024.
TagsCovered CAdeadlineDMVhealthinsuranceLong Beach Leaderprecinct reportertricounty bulletin
Previous Article

Legislation to Rename Post Office For “Woodie” ...

Next Article

The Music Center Welcomes Return of Alvin ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Precinct Reporter News

Related articles More from author

  • Latest PRGNews

    Tina Watkins: First African American Locomotive Engineer Retires

    June 14, 2018
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Coalition Shares Old School Survival Tips

    March 26, 2020
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Census: Fill out the Form

    March 19, 2020
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Ryan Tillman Hopes to Bridge a Gaping Gap

    June 18, 2020
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Leroy Holt: Moreno Valley Council Candidate District 2

    July 26, 2018
    By Precinct Reporter News
  • Latest PRGNews

    Honoring Black Resistance in August

    August 6, 2020
    By Precinct Reporter News

You might be interested

  • Latest PRGNews

    CSUSB Holds Public Course on “Black Minds Matter”

  • Latest PRGNews

    Red Flag: Bank-Breaking Prop 19 Tax Costs

  • Latest PRGNews

    $349B COVID-19 Program Short-changes Businesses of Color

Ads

Find us on Facebook

Precinct Reporter News Group

Your local news resource for 50 years in the Inland Empire, Orange County, Long Beach and surrounding areas!

To subscribe or advertise, call 909.889.0597

About us

  • Broadcasting & Media Production Company
    357 W. 2nd Street
    San Bernardino, California, CA 92401
  • mailto:sales@precinctreporter.com
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Sydney Kamlager Now CA Senate’s Only Black Woman

    By Precinct Reporter News
    March 4, 2021
  • Vaccines Outreach, Get the Jab

    By Precinct Reporter News
    March 4, 2021
  • Legislators Dig Deep: White Supremacists in Law Enforcement, Military

    By Precinct Reporter News
    March 4, 2021
  • IE/OC Prostate and Breast Cancer, Change the Menu

    By PRGNews
    July 16, 2015
  • Join our Recipe Competition!

    By PRGNews
    July 16, 2015
  • SB Budget Cuts CDBG

    SB CDBG Cuts Have Local Nonprofits Braced for the Worst

    By PRGNews
    July 16, 2015

Follow us

© Powered by Hotspotwebsites.net. All rights reserved.