April 21, 2020
If you, your client, or someone in your family becomes ill with COVID-19 or develops symptoms you believe may be due to COVID-19, you need to seek medical care. But many of us have no or limited access to health coverage, or we don’t know how to use the coverage we have when it comes to COVID-19. Many public announcements say you should “call your doctor” if you have symptoms. But what do you do if you don’t have your own doctor?
To help during the pandemic, California is creating and expanding health coverage options for those of us who need it. Regardless of what, if any, health insurance you have, you should not have to pay for any screening or testing of COVID-19. There are now a variety of plans designed to ensure that everyone infected with COVID-19 receives affordable care. Below you will find explanations and how each plan impacts workers like us if we need to access COVID-19 care.
IMPORTANT: Many of these coverage options are only for COVID-19 care. If you would like to find out if you qualify for Medi-Cal visit https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/ApplyforMedi-Cal.aspx. If you would like to purchase coverage or find out if you are eligible for discounted health coverage through Covered California, the enrollment period has been extended through June 2020, visit https://www.coveredca.com/. If you already purchase health coverage through Covered California and have changed financial circumstances due to COVID-19, you may qualify for lowered premiums.
If you are uninsured, lost your health insurance due to unemployment, or if your insurer doesn’t cover COVID-19
If you are undocumented
If you have Medi-Cal
If you have Medicare (for people 65 and over)
If you have private or employer-sponsored health coverage like Kaiser or have purchased health coverage through Covered California
Though every one of us deserves full health coverage ALL the time, that’s not the world we currently live in. But even if we are not all covered for all health issues, all Californians currently have the right to care and treatment for COVID-19. If you feel you have been exposed, use the above resources to get advice and help. Our health is the most important resource we have; make sure you are protecting yours.
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