Health Insurance Providers Offering Enrollment Periods Due to COVID-19

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, health insurance carriers are taking action to ensure members have access to coverage, testing, and the treatment needed.

Many are offering COVID-19 special enrollment periods for members to sign up for coverage.

These carriers include:

• Anthem
• United Healthcare
• Optima Health
• Kaiser Permanente
• CareFirst
• Blue Shield of California
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
• Covered California

Anthem

Employees in fully insured small and large groups are eligible to make changes to their healthcare plan through April 15, 2020. The changes will be effective as of April 1, 2020.

Employees, their spouses, and dependents who were eligible for benefits under Open Enrollment are eligible to participate if they previously waived coverage.

United Healthcare

UnitedHealthcare has opened a special enrollment period for some of its existing customers in response to COVID-19.

The special enrollment period is through April 13, and changes will be effective as of April 1.

Those who are eligible for the special enrollment:

• Employees not currently enrolled in their company’s plan can sign up for coverage
• Employees may elect to add their dependents to their existing plan (spouse, partner, or children)

Optima Health

Optima Health announced it will provide fully insured groups with the option to offer a special enrollment period for employees who previously did not elect to enroll in coverage at the time of their employer’s open enrollment.

Enrollment has been extended to April 15, 2020 and is available for Small Group, Mid-Market and Large Group customers with coverage effective on or after April 1, 2020.

Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente are allowing employees who previously declined coverage for themselves or their dependents to make changes to their plan through April 15. Employees who made changes between March 27 and April 3 would have coverage effective as of April 1. Employees who made changes between April 4 and 15, will see the changes go into effect on May 1.

CareFirst

CareFirst is allowing employees previously declined coverage to make changes to their health insurance through April 15. The changes will be effective as of April 1.

Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California announced employer groups may enroll new members through June 30, 2020 with July 1, 2020 as the latest effective date. The special enrollment period is for employees who previously declined coverage for themselves or their dependents.

• For an April 1, 2020 effective date, enrollment requests must be received no later than April 15.
• For May 1, June 1 and July 1 effective date, enrollment requests must be received on or before the first of the month being requested.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois

Employees who previously declined coverage or waived dependent coverage are eligible to enroll through April 30. Changes will be effective as of April 1.

Covered California

Covered California has opened a special enrollment period in response to COVID-19. People can apply through June 30, 2020. Changes will be effective the first of the month following the submission of election.

If you are a Zenefits customers, read more information about special enrollment periods here.