Ventura County residents scrambling to meet Covered California deadline
By Tom Kisken, Ventura County Star, Calif. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Now he and his wife are uninsured. If they remain that way past the
But they don't qualify for the income-based subsidies that whittle away at premium prices for Covered California plans.
"It's more than double what I was paying," said Freeman after the
The event was hosted by Assemblyman
Covered
Individuals who make as much as
People who make
With few exceptions, people qualify for insurance in or outside of the exchange regardless of asthma, diabetes or other conditions that may have blocked them from insurance in the past.
"It's been over a month and I haven't heard anything," said Foint, worried about falling through the cracks and not having any coverage.
Several people in the audience laid out their problems in figuring out if doctors were covered by a plan sold in the Covered California marketplace.
The Friday before her Tuesday knee surgery, she received a call saying her doctor wasn't covered. Neither was the hospital.
"I needed the surgery. I needed it six months ago," said Migdol, who went ahead with the procedure. She negotiated a discount and a payment plan with the doctor and is hoping to do the same with the hospital.
Others at the event complained about waiting for hours on the phone for answers from Covered California. At one point, a speaker referred people to the exchange's toll-free hotline. "Good luck," quipped a man in the back.
To make things easier, the forum included insurance agents, enrollment counselors and
"If you try to do this yourself ... it's going to get messed up," said
People can find free assistance by going to coveredca.com and clicking on the "find local help" icon.
For more, go to www.vcstar.com/special/healthcare.
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(c)2014 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.)
Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at www.vcstar.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
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