California Open Enrollment

2023 California Health Insurance Open Enrollment

Health Insurance Open Enrollment started for California on October 15, 2022 and runs through January 31, 2023. Individuals who enroll between October 15 and December 15 will be covered from January 1, 2023, while those who enroll between December 16 and January 31 will have coverage from February 1, 2023.

Get Quotes on Private Health Insurance in California

Health Care Market Quotes works with California insurers that offer the lowest rates and best coverage for health insurance to individuals and families. Compare all individual and family health plans in California from different providers side by side. Choose the best benefits, cost and coverage is best suited for your healthcare needs.

This might be the right time for you to choose a new California private health insurance plan, if:

You are self-employed
You are currently covered by health insurance, but the premiums are very high.
Your employer doesn’t offer a group plan.
You are enrolled in a group plan, but it does not cover your spouse or relatives.
You are registered in a health insurance plan, but your benefit needs have changed.

Compare Many Different Options of Medical Insurance Side By Side

When you and your spouse or domestic partner are looking for new health insurance, we recommend that you check the health insurance plans together and separately to find the lowest rates. This can vary substantially from company to company.

Family and individual rates can be much different based on age and health differences. A large age gap for couples can save a lot of money by enrolling in the same plan instead of individually. Couples who are close in age can often pay much less searching for individual health insurance plans. If you decide to apply for couples’ health insurance, it is important that the plan you choose covers all the benefits you need.

Covered California Information

With the Affordable Care Act, California was the first state to create its own health insurance marketplace. California Covered currently has enrolled over 1.6 million people in different plans. Out of the 1.6 million, about 1.2 million people qualified for a federal grant. Covered California partnered with 11 health insurance companies to provide affordable plans for families, individuals and businesses.

11 California Health Insurance Companies

Anthem Blue Cross of California
Chinese Community Health Plan (eligible only for San Francisco county and San Mateo county)
Health Net
Blue Shield of California
Kaiser Permanente
Molina Healthcare
A. Care Health Plan
Oscar Health Plan of California
Sharp Health Plan (only San Diego county)
Valley Health Plan (only Santa Clara County)
Western Health Advantage (eligible only for North Bay area and Greater Sacramento)

Rate Changes From 2022 to 2023

In California, the average rate changes vary by region as from 2022, but the overall weighted average increase for individual plans is less than 1%. The modest rate increase is primarily due to the restoration of a single mandate in California, which will take effect in 2022.

New California Health Laws

Starting this year, certain independent contractors must be classified as employees.

California AB5 announced in September 2019, will go into effect in January 2022 requiring some companies to reclassify certain independent contractors as employees. Employees are entitled to several benefits, such as the $12/hour minimum wage. This was not required to provide to independent contractors. Some other benefits include employer social security, overtime compensation and Medicare contributions (FICA taxes).

Under the ACA’s employer mandate, large employers (more than 50 full-time employees) must offer affordable, minimum health insurance to their full-time employees (more than 30 hours per week). It is not required that coverage must be offered to independent contractors. However, these large employers must provide health services to new full-time employees.

Generally, employers can use the retrospective method to determine whether newly reclassified employees are in full-time employment. In this case, they have one year to make the determination and provide coverage for those who work more than 30 hours a week (the retrospective method can only be used if an employee is seasonal or has variable work hours). However, employers can generally consider newly classified employees - who have flexible working hours and schedule their own working hours - as employees with variable working hours.

Smaller companies are not required to provide medical care under the ACA. However, if they offer insurance coverage, the offer may be non-discriminatory: benefits can only vary based on a good employee rating, so newly re-classified workers would have to receive the same insurance coverage as other employees, as long as they are within the same employee classification.

Who Is Except From New Law?

Accountants, Architects, Doctors, Travel Agents, Real Estate Agents, Investment Advisors, Graphic Artists and several Hairdressers, Manicurists and Beauticians are exempt from the new law. Lyft and Uber, have fought a long time on employee classification, vowed to oppose the law in court and it may be voted on in 2022.

California Short-Term Health Insurance Was Banned in January 2019

Short-term health insurance in California is no longer available on any exchange. However, you can request quotes for other similar options. Outside of the ACA plans, there are fixed compensation and critical illness plans that are available in California.

Group Health insurance in California

California group rates for small businesses are available from most major health insurance companies such as; Kaiser Permanente, Anthem BlueCross, Blue Shield of California, Oscar and UnitedHealthcare.

Give us a call today at (888) 201-6422 to instantly compare all your health insurance options side by side and be assured that you are paying the best price.

California Residents