Questions about covered California? We can help.

Covered California open enrollment begins today and you may have questions about how recent actions by President Trump and Congress will impact your health coverage. The California HIV/AIDS Policy Research Centers has released a set of common questions and answers to help you better understand your coverage through Covered California. This guide is designed specifically to help people living with HIV and hepatitis C and people considering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). You can read the full guide here.

Here are some key points to remember:

• Covered California will have a full open enrollment period from November 1, 2017 – January 31, 2018. If you need your coverage to start on January 1, 2018, you must sign up by December 15, 2017.
• Because President Trump recently ended federal funding for financial assistance known as cost-sharing reductions, Covered California health insurance companies will add a surcharge to Silver plans in 2018.
• However, because the surcharge will only be applied to Silver plans, most consumers will see their premiums stay the same or decrease, since the amount of financial help they receive through tax credits will also rise.
• Consumers who do not receive tax credits to help pay their premiums have other plan options that do not include the surcharge.
• For 2018, Anthem Blue Cross is withdrawing from most pricing regions and Health Net is removing its HMO from a few regions. Consumers who had these plans will need to shop for a new plan or they will be defaulted into a comparable plan.
• There are several cost-savings programs available for people living with HIV and hepatitis C and people considering PrEP.

Read the full question and answer guide here.

There are numerous resources available to assist consumers with questions:

Covered California’s Service Center: 1-800-300-1506

Covered California’s website: www.coveredca.com

Local, free, and confidential help is also available from one of Covered California’s 14,000 certified agents and enrollers. Consumers can find local help by visiting www.coveredca.com/get-help

Health Consumer Alliance offers free help if you have concerns about your health insurance company or access to medical care: 1-888-804-3536 or www.healthconsumer.org

If you’re living with HIV, you should seek assistance from someone knowledgeable about HIV programs and how they interact with Covered California. If you are unable to find an HIV-experienced certified agent or enroller, consult with an HIV case manager or benefits counselor. If you qualify for ADAP and OA-HIPP, you can find the nearest enrollment site by calling 1-844-550-3944.

If you’re considering PrEP, you can chat with a knowledgeable PrEP navigator at www.pleaseprepme.org. This website also contains a statewide directory of doctors with experience providing PrEP.