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.
• ​​​​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).