Just got a COBRA letter? Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period — and because COBRA carries no employer contribution and no premium tax credit, the alternative is often much cheaper.
Not a government marketplace. Health Enrollment Center is operated by Sprinter Insurance Agency LLC.
California runs its own marketplace, Covered California, and it's one of the most consumer-friendly in the country. On top of the federal premium tax credit, California adds its own state subsidies, which means many residents get help that wouldn't exist in a federal-marketplace state. Roughly 1.8 million Californians are enrolled through Covered California, and about 90% receive some form of financial help.
COBRA lets you keep your former employer's exact plan — but now you pay the whole premium plus a 2% admin fee, with no employer contribution. For most households that's $650–$1,200+ a month. The letter makes it sound like your only option. It isn't.
Losing employer coverage is a qualifying life event. It opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on the ACA marketplace, where your income may qualify you for a premium tax credit that COBRA can never offer. Many people who were paying $900 for COBRA move to a comparable Silver plan for $300–$450 — often keeping the same primary-care doctor in-network.
The timing move that saves people money: you have 60 days from the date your coverage ends to enroll in a marketplace plan. Unlike COBRA, marketplace coverage is not retroactive — it starts on a future date, so a gap is possible if you wait. Before you pay that first COBRA invoice, it's worth a 10-minute call to compare. If an ACA plan beats COBRA, we help you enroll; if COBRA is genuinely better for your situation, we'll tell you that too.
California runs its own exchange, Covered California, rather than using HealthCare.gov. That matters more than it sounds: state-based exchanges set their own Open Enrollment dates, can recognize special enrollment situations the federal marketplace does not, and sometimes administer state-only programs that have no federal equivalent. Check the Covered California calendar rather than assuming the federal dates apply to you. California runs its own state-based marketplace, Covered California, and adds state subsidies on top of the federal premium tax credit for many residents.
One thing to check before you pay a COBRA invoice in California: if losing the job dropped your household income, the marketplace subsidy you now qualify for is usually far cheaper than COBRA — and if the drop was steep, the children may qualify for CHIP, which runs year-round rather than on the 60-day clock. For most above-poverty households, though, the win is simply a subsidized marketplace plan COBRA can never match on price. California expanded Medicaid (Medi-Cal) and offers some of the most generous coverage in the country, including Medi-Cal eligibility regardless of immigration status for many residents. Above the Medi-Cal line, Covered California layers state subsidies onto the federal premium tax credit, so a large share of enrollees pay very little.
The carriers writing individual business in California include Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, Molina Healthcare and others. Networks and pricing are set county by county rather than statewide, so the same carrier can be the best value in one metro and the wrong choice an hour away. We quote Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento — and every county in between.
Don't see yours? Call a licensed agent — most answers take under two minutes.
Yes. We help California residents compare COBRA alternatives options against the alternatives so you can see the real trade-offs before you enroll.
Covered California is California's state-based health insurance marketplace. It's where residents enroll in ACA plans, and it adds California state subsidies on top of the federal premium tax credit for many income levels. A licensed agent can enroll you through Covered California at no extra cost and also show private off-exchange plans.
Through Covered California, the exchange California runs itself — not HealthCare.gov. A licensed agent can enroll you in the same plans at the same price. Because California sets its own calendar, check the Open Enrollment dates against Covered California rather than assuming the federal ones apply to you.
The carriers writing individual business in California include Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield of California, Anthem Blue Cross, Health Net, Molina Healthcare and others. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks in Los Angeles are not the lineup in Sacramento. We are independent and compare across all of them rather than steering you to one company.
Start with your ZIP. Two quick questions, then a licensed agent brings you the plans you actually qualify for — no cost, no obligation.