HEALTH INSURANCE
Health insurance is not required to visit the Student Health Center. However, the Student Health Center does recommend the purchase of medical insurance for any unforeseen health problems, to visit any emergency department, and to follow up with primary care doctors and specialists. Health insurance coverage will minimize the chance of jeopardizing your college education due to a financially devastating illness or disease. The Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) states health insurance will be required starting January 1, 2014, meaning everyone must get or have health insurance.
Five ways to get insured:
- Sign-up for a government program, like Medicare, Medi-Cal, or Healthy Families. These programs changed their requirements making it easier for many more people to qualify.
- Get health insurance through your job or your spouse's or partner's job. If you already have insurance through work, you won't have to do anything else. It's also easier to keep your dependents on your employer's coverage.
- Buy insurance from a private insurance company on your own.
- Buy insurance through Covered CA.com.
- Schedule an appointment with a Certified Covered CA/Medi-Cal educator/enroller at the Student Health Center every Monday.
If you do not have health insurance by 2014, the IRS will send you a reminder about the new law. You may have to pay a fine, if you do not get health insurance. The amount of the fine may go up every year. There are exceptions to the Affordable Care Act. Some may not be fined if they do not get insurance. You may not have to pay a fine if:
- You cannot find insurance that costs less than 8% of your household income, or
- You are a Native American, religious objector, in prison, or
- Your income is low, but you do not qualify for any government program.
Covered CA
Covered CA helps you find private and public insurance options you can afford. Covered CA has a list of health plans in California that offer basic, needed health benefits as part of federal health care reform.
You can use the Covered CA website to:
- Compare health plans to pick the best one for you and your family
- Find out if you qualify for tax credits that help lower the cost of your health insurance
- Find out if you qualify for government programs, like Medi-Cal and Healthy Families
Visit Covered CA.com or call (888) 975-1142.
The Student Health Center can help find health insurance to meet your needs. Please call the health center for more information.