Covered California kicked off this year’s open enrollment period with literal kicks. The health insurance marketplace held a workout event hosted by world-class athlete Laila Ali and World Championship boxer Leo Santa Cruz promoting this year’s opportunity to check out various health insurance agencies. According to Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee, this is the only time of the year where any and everyone can look into health insurance options without being turned down. It’s now a law in California that everyone who can afford health insurance, must get it or they’ll pay a fine.
However, Lee said it’s the unexpected ER visits that boast heavy medical bills that are the real penalty people should be concerned about. Mother-of-two Olivia Perrine knows first hand the dangers of not having proper health coverage. When her doctor switched her from brand-name to generic medication for her thyroids, it was cheaper but not as effective. She fought with insurance companies and eventually got approved to take the brand-name medication and pay much less. Covered California allows people like Perrine to shop around different health insurance companies and find the one that best fits their lifestyle and annual income so that they don’t have to live with pain or any other health concern. The enrollment period goes until the end of January, but you have to sign up by December 15th if you want to be ensured by the start of next year.