Due to a high number of errors and inconsistencies in the Covered California application documents, agents and counselors are reaching out to about 98,000 families in order to verify their citizenship and enrollment documents. Families must submit documents showing proof that they are legally present in the United States as citizens or have eligible immigration status. Notices will be mailed or emailed and proper proof needs to be submitted by September 30, 2014 or else these families risk losing their health coverage.
The goal of getting these documents is to provide a solution to the errors in applications and develop a smoother transition process for the next enrollment period. Thus far, over 700,000 documents have been verified and processed according to the Executive Director of Covered California Peter Lee.
What does this process entail:
- Agents need proof of citizenship (sometimes there are two documents and one may have been illegible so they are asking for families to resubmit these materials)
- Notices will be delivered to families in English and Spanish describing the documents they need to rectify the situation
- Families can upload documents to their Covered California account or send them via UPS or fax
- If anyone has questions, certified agents and call centers will be available for help
- Documents must be submitted by September 30 or families risk termination of coverage (this means they may face a tax penalty for not being enrolled)
Overall, this process is meant to ensure proper eligibility for enrollment in a Covered California health plan and help transition smoothly with future enrollments.