In response to the COVID-19 crisis, California health officials have extended the special enrollment period for eligible individuals to sign up for health insurance through Covered California. These health insurance plans are subsidized plans for individuals without employer-sponsored health insurance. Several states around the country are re-opening their own health insurance exchanges for a special enrollment period as well. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/20/818981380/9-states-reopen-aca-insurance-enrollment-to-broaden-health-coverage.

Although Congress has passed legislation that provides for free coronavirus testing, the subsequent healthcare you might require is expensive. Individuals who do not have health insurance could end up with large medical bills through no fault of their own. A hospitalization lasting several weeks could cost tens of thousands of dollars without insurance according to some studies. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/potential-costs-of-coronavirus-treatment-for-people-with-employer-coverage/. Many uninsured individuals will find themselves in a difficult position deciding whether they should seek treatment and risk suffering from the dire financial consequences. Public health officials and experts have expressed concern about the impact of individuals avoiding testing and treatment stating that “uninsured residents who don’t get tested for the novel coronavirus because of the fear of the costs of testing and treatment would represent an ‘extremely weak link in the response chain and would make things much worse.’ ” https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/20/818981380/9-states-reopen-aca-insurance-enrollment-to-broaden-health-coverage.

According to the US Census Bureau, the number of people in the United States that do not have health insurance is approximately 28 million. https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2019/demo/p60-267.html. If you are uninsured, please contact Covered California to discuss your options.