When will my plan 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 major life changes:

• 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.

• ​​​​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.

• ​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).