April 17, 2015 - SACRAMENTO, Calif. — About 16,893 consumers in mostly rural Northern California counties selected an insurance plan through Covered California from Nov. 15, 2014, to Feb. 22, 2015.
The Northern California counties of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Del Norte, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne and Yuba represent about 3.5 percent of nearly 500,000 new enrollments statewide. The counties encompass Covered California pricing region 1.Covered California is offering a special-enrollment opportunity for consumers who did not know or understand there was a tax penalty for being uninsured in 2014 or who learned they may face a penalty for 2015. Consumers have until April 30, 2015, to apply for health coverage during special enrollment by attesting that they did not realize there was a tax penalty.
To attest to this fact, they can select “Informed of Tax Penalty Risk” when filling out an application at CoveredCA.com.
Although open enrollment has ended, consumers who experience a qualifying life event can still gain health insurance coverage through special enrollment in Covered California.
Qualifying life events include losing health coverage through a job, getting married or entering into a domestic partnership, having or adopting a child, changing where a person permanently lives or gaining citizenship. For a list of common types of qualifying events, visit www.CoveredCA.com.
Enrollment data by metal level and by insurance carrier for this region are included in the following charts.
Region 1 — Northern Counties
Enrollment by Pricing Region*
| Pricing Region |
First Open Enrollment |
Second Open Enrollment |
||
| 1 Northern counties |
49,665 |
3.6% |
16,893 |
3.4% |
Metal Level of Individuals Enrolled*
| Metal Level |
First Open Enrollment |
Second Open Enrollment |
||
| Minimum Coverage |
389 |
0.8% |
130 |
0.8% |
| Bronze |
16,490 |
33.2% |
6,799 |
40.2% |
| Silver |
29,444 |
59.3% |
9,060 |
53.6% |
| Gold |
2,063 |
4.2% |
637 |
3.8% |
| Platinum |
1,279 |
2.6% |
267 |
1.6% |
| Total |
49,665 |
100% |
16,893 |
100.0% |
Carrier Selected of Individuals Enrolled*
| Carrier |
First Open Enrollment |
Second Open Enrollment |
||
| Anthem Blue Cross of California |
45,021 |
90.8% |
15,711 |
93.0% |
| Blue Shield of California |
4,289 |
8.6% |
1,058 |
6.3% |
| Kaiser Permanente |
293 |
0.6% |
124 |
0.7% |
| Total |
49,603 |
100% |
16,893 |
100.0% |
| * Data include individuals who finished their applications and selected plans through Feb. 22, 2015. Regional breakouts may not add up to statewide totals due to data reconciliations in process. |
||||
About Covered California
Covered California is the state’s marketplace for the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Covered California, in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services, was charged with creating a new health insurance marketplace in which individuals and small businesses can get access to affordable health insurance plans. Covered California helps individuals determine whether they are eligible for premium assistance that is available on a sliding-scale basis to reduce insurance costs or whether they are eligible for low-cost or no-cost Medi-Cal. Consumers can then compare health insurance plans and choose the plan that works best for their health needs and budget. Small businesses can purchase competitively priced health insurance plans and offer their employees the ability to choose from an array of plans and may qualify for federal tax credits.
Covered California is an independent part of the state government whose job is to make the new market work for California’s consumers. It is overseen by a five-member board appointed by the governor and the Legislature. For more information about Covered California, please visit www.CoveredCA.com.
