Hello Professional Curious one,
This is a love letter to Covered California, the health insurance marketplace of California. Perhaps one of the most boring topics to ever write a love letter on.
Enjoy.
p.s. anyone know anything about Single Member LLC Healthcare options?
Past Publications
3 Things I am applying to My Writing Goals So Far + Examples
Rebuilding My Personal Finance Stack + The Best Psychology Book I've Ever Read
Sections You Can Skim To
Covered California
Eligibility Window
Shopping Comparison
Payment Types
Explaining
Covered California
TL;DR: Ez lazy way to get healthcare w/o tieing it to employment
Dear Covered California,
You have provided a great option to get health insurance outside from an employer. You’re great for solo-consultants, people between jobs, and people who hate their employer health plan.
But more importantly, you’ve done a fantastic job at expanding the window to get coverage.
The more I learn about healthcare and health plan, the more stressful it is to figure out what plan is going to work for me. Back in the day, I could only select health coverage in an oddly specific 2 weeks in November, back when I was extremely busy. If I didn’t choose, or didn’t have time to read and elect new options, I was locked into whatever plan an election until next November.
But in 2022 you did something so ingeniously different.
Eligibility Window
TL;DR: Got until January 31…OF THE YEAR OF COVERAGE!!!
You gave me way too much time to decide.
…and re-decide.
You let me choose and change my healthplan all the way until January 31 of the actual year of coverage.
Like holyshit.
I can decide my level of care in the same year of coverage.
And you don’t even penalize me for switching plans based on what I thought I wanted back in November 2022 and December 2022.
I did this to you a few times. Mostly because turning 30 caused my premiums to go up for what was something I didn’t even use.
Shopping Comparison
In my post first employer life, I didn’t even know what shopping around meant. While your options you give me are limited to the biggest known providers, I’m appreciative of the simplicity.
It’s 1 click enrollment and 1 click change.
How do you do it?
Payment Types
TL;DR: You take credit card for free? Damn!
Can we talk about how you also allow for multiple payment options for your plans? As in, I don’t have to pay through checking/ACH, but I can pay using a debit card or credit card WITHOUT processing fees?!
That annual premium is going to a reward credit card.
Explaining
TL;DR: I’m illiterate
There are too many complicated positions to take for healthcare insurance. Too many choices. I know you’re doing your best at educating my illiterate ass in what an HMO, PPO, and EPO plan is, even when I keep asking every year.
I also appreciate you educating me on making a decision on whether minimum*, bronze, silver, gold, or platinum makes sense.
*Minimum has been eliminated.
If you were around 20 years ago, I could have even told my parents and the people of my community about you. You offer quite literally every language I’ve encountered except drunk gibberish and Zoomer.
Thanks for being an option, Covered California.
Signed,
Guy who doesn’t use his healthcare and actively tries to pay the minimum amount and recently discovered HSAs, of which you also accommodate, but now is looking for SMLLC deductions.
p.s. this chart is scary.
Wow - I have to say, this seems way better than the horrific stories I can share about how this works here in Massachusetts with our "MA Health Connector": https://www.mahix.org/individual/
I guess it's better than nothing though, right?
I'd be happy to be interviewed for a subsequent health care follow-up too - HA!