Covered CaliforniaReviews of coveredca.com

I am going to give 4 stars to covered California mainly because every time I have ever called them, I have rarely had to wait more than 5 minutes and the customer service is generally very friendly and helpful.

A few years ago, Covered CA was somewhat decent. You'd report your income and get insurance right away (the next month). Now, Covered CA uses a prorated system. If you can't apply before the 15th of each month, insurance won't start for 4-6 weeks. Example: you get laid off on the 1st of the month. You apply for EDD/unemployment. The first benefit certification takes a couple weeks to come in (mail/online). You get paid on the 14th. By the time your Covered CA app is reviewed by a case worker, it's too late. Now you're waiting almost 2 months for insurance. If you have chronic/extreme health conditions, you're sore-out-of-luck. Phone customer service reps... All over the place. Some answer your questions and get what you need. Others say "well [benefit option] can't be done;" and try hanging up quick as possible. Insurance costs... Unaffordable. Example: You make $35k salary. For basic Bronze options: $75-100 monthly premiums. For Silver plans: $200-400. For Gold: $300-700. Not as much as COBRA, but still unsustainable. Overall, I hope to never need Covered CA again. Despite big state funding, Covered CA is becoming more restrictive.