We all know that life is unpredictable. What you plan is not necessarily what ends up happening. That can apply to so many things – relationships, housing situations, jobs, etc.
Some of those changes can affect your health insurance coverage.
But don’t worry, CaliforniaChoice makes it easy for you to update your health insurance coverage whenever you experience a life change.
What Is a Qualifying Event?
There are many life changes and events that can trigger eligibility to make a change to your group health insurance. They include:
- Marriage or domestic partnership: A change in your marital status (e.g., marriage, divorce, or separation) or domestic partnership.
- New family member: Adding a dependent child through adoption or birth.
- Late enrollment or involuntary loss of coverage: If you waived coverage before, you can enroll late and/or change benefits. This can occur when other coverage ends due to death of a spouse (who maintained it). Or if there is a loss of benefits eligibility due to reduced work hours or job loss.
- Remove coverage or dependents:You can remove existing insurance or dependents from your coverage. One example is if a dependent child reaches age 26 (and is no longer eligible).
- Moving: If you move to a new place of residence (and out of your existing health plan’s service area).
Limited Time to Make Changes
You generally have up to 60 days from a qualifying/triggering event to make coverage changes. Login at calchoice.com for specifics about how to make different kinds of changes. Or call 800.558.8003 or 714.558.8000. You can also send an email to CustomerService@calchoice.com.
Effective Date of Changes
Changes requested will be effective on the first day of the month following receipt by CalChoice of a request. For example, if an employee submits a request/application on May 10, the change would be effective June 1.
Help When You Need It
We make it easy for you to make changes, which is just one reason to love CaliforniaChoice. Another, of course, is the availability of dozens of coverage options from a variety of participating health plans. With CaliforniaChoice, you have access to more doctors, specialists, and hospitals than any other single employer-sponsored program available in California. Login at calchoice.com for more information.