When will my coverage start?
Coverage will usually start on the first day of the month following plan selection (for example, if you selected a plan on Dec. 31, your coverage would start on Jan. 1).
For the birth or adoption of a child, or acceptance of a child into foster care, you can choose to have coverage start on:
- The first day of the month following the birth, adoption, or placement in your foster care of a child, or
- The date of the birth, adoption, or placement in foster care, or
- The first day of the month following plan selection.
In addition, you can choose a different date (or a different date may apply) for the following qualifying life events:
- Appeals decisions:
- The date specified in the appeal decision, or
- First day of the following month.
- Birth, adoption, placement for adoption, placement in foster care or child support, or other court order:
- At the enrollee's request or request of the authorized representative:
- On the date of the event; or
- On the first day of the month following the event; or
- On the first day of the month following plan selection.
- At the enrollee's request or request of the authorized representative:
- Court order causes applicant to gain a dependent or become a dependent:
- At the enrollee’s request:
- Effective date of the court order, or
- First day of the month following plan selection.
- At the enrollee’s request:
- Death of an enrollee or dependent:
- Coverage for the remaining household members begins the first of the month following QHP selection.
- End of employer contributions or government subsidy to existing COBRA continuation coverage:
- On the first day of the month following the triggering event; or
- On the first day of the month following plan selection (if plan selected after the date of the triggering event).
- Erroneous enrollment/non-enrollment in a Covered California plan due to an officer, employee or agent of the exchange or HHS, its instrumentalities, a qualified health plan issuer (QHP), or a non-exchange entity providing enrollment assistance; or
- Violation of contract by a Covered California plan; or
- Exceptional circumstances, including hardship, change regarding an exemption; or
- Natural or human-caused disaster resulting in a declared state of emergency in California; or
- National public health emergency or pandemic; or
- Determined ineligible for Medi-Cal or CHIP after end of Covered California's open-enrollment period (after applying during Covered California's open-enrollment period or special enrollment period); or
- Error causing decision to purchase a QHP through the exchange:
- An appropriate date decided by Covered California (including a retroactive date), on a case-by-case basis
- Loss of Minimum Essential Coverage; or
- Loss of enrollment in a non-calendar-year group health plan or individual health insurance coverage; or
- Newly ineligible for qualifying coverage in an eligible employer-sponsored plan:
- Whichever date is later:
- First day of the month following plan selection, or
- On the first day of the month following the loss of coverage — (if the applicants know that they will lose coverage in the future).
- Whichever date is later:
Edit this card
Want to get started with Covered California?
Edit this component
Was this article helpful?
Thanks for your feedback.