Consumers who take some steps to obtain health insurance via Covered California will see a short extension of the open enrollment period, officials said.
The regular end of enrollment is Feb. 15.
“We will help people get across the finish line in the days following the deadline, but you must take steps to begin the process by the 15th by starting an application or making an appointment,” Covered California chief Peter Lee said.
The extension runs until Feb. 20. (Update: That new deadline was quickly extended by two days to match the federal Obamacare operation’s extension in the 37 states it covers. The latest deadline is Feb. 22.)
There’s a catch: Late enrollees will have to work with a certified insurance agent, enrollment counselor or other authorized enabler.
“Individuals who try to enroll online on the 16th will not be able to sign up online unless they have started and get help from one of the thousands of enrollers across the state,” Lee said.
Last year, Covered California officials vowed they would not extend the open-enrollment deadline, but did so anyway.
Covered California said that since open enrollment began Nov. 15, more than 354,000 people have selected a health-care plan, including 13,000 people on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
The state’s Obamacare operation announced last month that of the 944,000 people who were could renew their Covered California coverage for 2015, 94 percent stayed in the same plan that they were in last year.
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