Covered California Urges Central Coast Residents to Sign up for Health Insurance to Benefit from Lower Premiums Now Available Through the American Rescue Plan

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California announced that an estimated 52,000 people throughout Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo regions can benefit from lower health insurance premiums provided by the American Rescue Plan. The landmark law provides new and expanded financial help that is making health care coverage more affordable than ever before. However, people in the region need to act now in order to realize those savings. Those who sign up by June 30 will have coverage starting July 1.

“The new and expanded financial help provided by the American Rescue Plan can help people throughout the Central Coast get covered and stay covered by lowering their premiums and putting money back into their pockets,” said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California.                                                                      

“The American Rescue Plan provides the most significant savings for consumers since the Affordable Care Act began, but in order for many people to make the most of those savings, they need to act before the month ends.”

Covered California partners with thousands of certified enrollers across the state, including United Way of Ventura County, which joined Covered California to encourage people throughout the Central Coast to take a moment to check out their options and find out how affordable quality health care coverage can be.

“Health insurance premiums have never been this low, which is why it is so important for families across the Central Coast to check out their options and see how affordable coverage can be,” said Eric Harrison, President & CEO United Way of Ventura County. “Even if you have checked before, you should check again, because now is the time to sign up with this new and expanded financial help.”

Which Californians benefit from the American Rescue Plan?

Covered California estimates the new financial assistance can directly help 2.5 million Californians — including more than 52,000 people in the Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo regions — by lowering their monthly health insurance premiums. The new law stands to benefit the following groups of people:

• Uninsured residents: Nearly 20,000 people in the region are estimated to be uninsured and eligible for health insurance coverage through Covered California. Under the American Rescue Plan, many consumers would be able to get a high-quality health plan from one of 11 trusted name-brand companies for as little as $1 per month, or a plan that offers richer benefits for less than $100 per month (see Figure 1: Premiums Are Lower Than Ever for the Uninsured).

Figure 1: Premiums Are Lower Than Ever for the Uninsured

• Residents insured “off-exchange”: More than 7,500 people in the Central Coast are estimated to be insured “off-exchange,” or directly through a health insurance carrier, and do not receive any financial help. The American Rescue Plan ensures that everyone eligible will pay no more than 8.5 percent of their household income on their health plan premiums if they enroll through an Affordable Care Act marketplace like Covered California. The new law means that many off-exchange consumers are now eligible for financial help, and could save hundreds of dollars per month if they switch and get their insurance through Covered California (see Figure 2: Off-Exchange Consumers Save by Switching to Covered California).

Figure 2: Off-Exchange Consumers Save by Switching to Covered California

Finally, nearly 28,000 people in the region enrolled in Covered California have already begun benefiting from the new law, when their monthly premiums were automatically reduced in May.

Covered California’s special-enrollment period will run through the end of the year, but Lee encouraged consumers to act now in order to start saving.

“Do not miss out: the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can start saving and be covered,” Lee said. “We don’t want anyone in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria or San Luis Obispo — or anywhere across the state — to be uninsured or leave money on the table.”

Lee also noted that even if people are not eligible for the new financial help through Covered California, they may still have health care options. An estimated 51,000 people in the region are uninsured and eligible for no-cost coverage through Medi-Cal.

Quality Coverage for $1 a Month

The new and expanded financial help available through the American Rescue Plan is dramatically lowering health care premiums for many Californians. The most recent data from Covered California shows that 680,000 of its 1.55 million enrollees are signed up in quality plans that cost $1 per month.

Of those, nearly 400,000 people are in Enhanced Silver plans that include cost-sharing benefits in the form of lower copays, lower deductibles and lower out-of-pocket expenses that make it easier for them to access the health care they need.

“You owe it to yourself to check it out and see what this new financial help can mean for you and your family,” Lee said. “For less than the price of a bus ride or a soda, many Californians are getting the protection and peace of mind that comes with being covered for just $1 a month.”

In addition, the American Rescue Plan provides generous help to those who received unemployment insurance benefits in 2021. Under the new law, Californians who received unemployment insurance benefits in 2021 — regardless of their actual income in 2021 — will be eligible for quality coverage that will cost only $1 per month.

Covered California is currently working to implement this benefit into its enrollment and consumer cost-comparison systems. While those changes are expected to be implemented later this month, consumers who are enrolled or who sign up before that time will receive the lower premium retroactive to when their coverage commenced. An estimated 10 percent of current Covered California enrollees would be eligible for this added benefit, further reducing their costs and putting even more money back into their pockets. 

Consumers Can Find Out in Minutes How Much They Can Save

Covered California is encouraging people to check if they are eligible for lower premiums due to the American Rescue Plan. Consumers can easily see exactly how they can benefit from the new law on CoveredCA.com by entering their ZIP code,household income and the ages of the people in the household to see how low their premiums can be, and the health insurance options in their area.

Those interested in learning more about their coverage options can also:

• Visit www.CoveredCA.com.
• Use the website to find local insurance agents or certified enrollers in community organizations who provide free and confidential assistance over the phone or in person, in a variety of languages.
• Have a certified enroller call them for free help.
• Call Covered California at (800) 300-1506.