Following the end of California’s Covered Cal Open enrollment, which
began Nov. 1, 2023, and ended Jan. 31, 2024, nearly 1.8 million state
residents have chosen a plan through Covered Cal. This surpasses the
record set in 2022. More than 300,000 are new policy holders.

“The high demand for Covered California shows that the increased
financial help for 2024 is making health care coverage more attainable
and affordable for more Californians,” said Executive Director Jessica
Altman.

Despite the success of Covered Cal, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) has issued several warnings this year about unauthorized
plan switches.

In February, CMS warned that it has identified instances of consumers
being enrolled into an unwanted plan. This action, referred to as an
“Unauthorized Plan Switch,” results in the consumer’s chosen policy
being cancelled or terminated.

This could create problems getting appointments with their doctors, with
prescriptions and even unexpected tax bills.

Many consumers are unaware of the switch until they attempt to use the
desired policy to see a doctor or fill a prescription and are denied,
according to CMS.

States that run their own marketplaces — there are 18 including,
California —have been more successful in thwarting such efforts because
they require more information before a policy can be accessed.

If you feel you are a victim of an unauthorized enrollment, contact the
Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.

Some individuals discover the problem during tax season when they
receive a 1095-A tax form. The Internal Revenue Service also directs
individuals with potential Affordable Care Act policy problems to the
Call Center.

CMS has already reached out to health care agents to explain the process
for correcting the problem for unfortunate victims of switched policies.

“We understand the importance of protecting Medicare beneficiaries from
unscrupulous actors that use deceptive tactics and offer inaccurate
information about Medicare products and coverage. Licensed and certified
independent agents work directly with Medicare beneficiaries to combat
these misinformation campaigns,” Jessica Brooks-Woods, CEO of the
National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals, said at a
U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing on Medicare Advantage Annual
Enrollment: Cracking Down on Deceptive Practices and Improving Senior
Experiences.