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Significant Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Despite Lock-In Offer

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  • 01-15-2014, 11:44 PM
    we42a
    Significant Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Despite Lock-In Offer
    My question involves insurance law for the state of: CA

    I'm 32, CA resident. My annual income is $6500.

    I applied through Covered CA's website twice. Both times rejected. They said my income is too low to qualify and that
    I need to look into Medi-Cal. Ironically, there was no place to apply for Medi-Cal despite a lot of sources saying you can
    apply through Covered CA.

    I noticed on my Jan. online banking that anthem blue cross charged me $269+$7 whereas for the 6 months prior I was only
    being charged $106/month
    . This came without much warning. I applied through ehealthinsurance and got a vague warning last year in the mail that I needed
    to respond about something related to obamacare. I went onto live chat and they told me that I can keep the $106 rate until feb 28th. Little did I know
    I was required to call some special number of Anthem's to lock this down (They should write in bold at the header "call this number or your insurance will go up 3-fold jan. 1" and really emphasize it in all communication as it flied through my radar. I finally read the page and I recall the instruction to call by dec 15 to be the middle of the page and not really emphasized as much as it should be). So, when i noticed this charge on my card I called
    anthem and they said it's too late I had to call them by Dec 15th to lock my previous rate until Feb 28th. Is this really true
    ?what can i do?

    In the meantime, I have tried to no avail applying for Medi-cal and every where I go they give me the run around. I applied online but
    no response. I went to the social service agency a few days before 2014 and they said they can't help me until 2014 since the
    eligibility rules haven't changed yet. They also said not to come right at the beginning of 2014 since there will be too many people
    creating chaos. I can't afford to be paying this insane premium. What do you suggest? Anyway I can get the overage back?

    I can't even freakin' cancel anthem yet because I don't know where I stand with medi-cal and as I said early covered CA rejected me
    (twice). I don't want to be without coverage.

    I've probably spent 10-15 hrs on their chat or talking to "agents" or calling the county, and all the run around people they send me to but literally everyone just gives me the run around. I've had them give me mixed answers. I"ve even had them straight out lie and say I was covered and it's pending, all while 1-2 weeks I found out it's not. This happened twice actually. i think
    I'm just gonna go to the social services agency again tomm. BTW, I applied online in early 2014, but still no response. It doesn't even show as pending
    at mybenefitscalwin.org
  • 01-16-2014, 12:45 AM
    Disagreeable
    Re: Significant Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Despite Lock-In Offer
    Did you mean $6500 or $65000? Your issue appears solvable here:
    http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi...alFAQ2014.aspx
  • 01-16-2014, 01:00 AM
    Dogmatique
    Re: Significant Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Despite Lock-In Offer
    Dunno, but the calculator is here: https://www.coveredca.com/shopandcompare/#calculator
  • 01-16-2014, 11:37 AM
    we42a
    Re: Significant Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Despite Lock-In Offer
    Quote:

    Quoting Disagreeable
    View Post
    Did you mean $6500 or $65000? Your issue appears solvable here:
    http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi...alFAQ2014.aspx

    $6500. YES, you can get rejected for having TOO LOW of an income (as well as too high which is conventional wisdom). Covered CA only covers up to something like 80% subsidies for people who make around $15,000. After that they don't cover the 100% subsidy low income people. Rather, they forward us to Medicaid (called medi-cal in California).

    I've seen that page before (the FAQ page), in fact last night. That's how it's supposed to be. If things played out as they are written on that page I'd be taken care of by now. How many times have you read or heard that Covered CA is the "one-stop" shop. Well, if it was they would have had a place for me to apply for medi-cal or at least forwarded my application to someone who can help me. Rather, I'm still in the run-around phase. I have been for 1.5 months. My first application was the first week of December.
  • 01-16-2014, 01:00 PM
    Disagreeable
    Re: Significant Increase in Health Insurance Premiums Despite Lock-In Offer
    How is it your income is so low and you can afford to live and pay your bills?
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