Covered California kicked off its open enrollment period with an event in Los Angeles, urging residents to take advantage of resources offered through its service.
The start of the open enrollment period under the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act comes as uncertainty continues over whether federal enhanced premium tax credits will be extended in 2026. The impasse in Congress has led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Executive Director Jessica Altman said this open enrollment period is coming at a crucial time when families are facing rising costs. According to Covered California, if the federal subsidies are not renewed by Congress, enrollees could face a preliminary weighted average rate increase of 10.3% for the 2026 coverage year.
According to the Covered California website, if the federal enhanced premium tax credits are not renewed by Congress, enrollees could face a preliminary weighted average rate increase of 10.3% for the 2026 coverage year.
In an interview with CBS LA, Altman said her team expects some people will forgo health insurance because of rising costs.
“We do expect some people to just say ‘I can’t afford health insurance, and I have no choice but to roll the dice with my health and financial security,'” Altman said. “I recently wish Congress had acted so that 2 million Californians weren’t in the middle of this, having to make this decision.”
Altman said that since 2014, Covered California has been able to help over 6 million Californians get access to health insurance and the organization has over 2 million enrollees. She added that Covered California is dedicated to providing all residents with affordable and high-quality health insurance.
Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the LA County Department of Public Health, claimed that health care services across the country are at risk due to actions from the federal government, including new budget proposals. She explained that those proposals will affect funding to hospitals, community clinics and affordable coverage.
“If this senseless cruelty continues, the greatest harm will fall on families with the fewest resources and the most urgent need for care,” Ferrer said.
She claims that health coverage is one of the most effective tools to advance health equity and “preventing preventable illnesses.” She said the work Covered California has done in LA County has been noticeable by providing a piece of mind that affordable care is possible.
“Today our message is simple, Covered California is open, and we are here working alongside our partners to make sure that every resident, regardless of background or income, has access to affordable high-quality health coverage.”
The Covered California open enrollment period is open until Jan. 31, 2026. Covered California provides resources in over 13 languages.