SACRAMENTO (Diya TV) — Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, is reminding newly married couples that marriage qualifies as a life event that opens a 60-day special-enrollment period, allowing them to sign up for or change health coverage outside the annual open enrollment window.
Under Covered California’s rules, getting married or entering a domestic partnership is one of several qualifying life events that trigger special enrollment. Other qualifying circumstances include losing or changing a job, being removed from a parent’s health plan or a school-sponsored plan, having a baby or adopting a child, losing existing health insurance, moving to an area with different available health plans, and gaining citizenship or lawful presence in the U.S. The enrollment window lasts 60 days from the date of the qualifying event.
“Marriage is a beautiful and poignant moment when people and families merge and blend, and it signifies the first step in your lifelong journey together,” said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. “If you’re newly married, you may qualify for Covered California’s ongoing special-enrollment period that allows you to shop and sign up for the health insurance your growing family deserves.”
To enroll, Californians can visit CoveredCA.com and enter basic information such as age, income and location to compare plans available in their area, view estimated monthly costs, review covered services, and determine what financial assistance they may qualify for. The agency also offers free, confidential enrollment assistance in multiple languages through more than 14,000 certified agents and community-based organizations statewide, either by phone or through a certified enroller who can call applicants directly. Californians can also call Covered California at (800) 300-1506 to enroll.
Ramandeep, a Stockton resident and mother of two who relies on Covered California for herself and her husband, a rideshare driver, said the coverage provides peace of mind given the unpredictability of his work. “He’s on the road 24/7, and anything could happen,” she said. “I know that if I have to go get treated, I have insurance that’s going to cover something, so I don’t have to pay a lot out of pocket.”
