California: CoveredCA extends final deadline to Enroll for 2024 Coverage through Feb. 9th due to call/service center issue

Hmmm...via Covered California:

Covered California announced today that it will give consumers until Feb. 9 to sign up for coverage in 2024.

“We’ve seen record-breaking enrollment nationally, and Covered California is surging with heightened demand,” said Covered California Executive Director Jessica Altman. “We want any Californian who needs health insurance to have the opportunity to get covered for the rest of 2024, and extending the open-enrollment period will ensure they have the time they need.”

In addition to the increased demand, consumers looking to enroll in recent days may have encountered challenges reaching Covered California representatives over the phone, and many this week have experienced longer than expected wait times. This was due in part to a disruption to Covered California’s service center, which was temporarily taken offline in immediate response to a cybersecurity incident affecting a third-party vendor that supports its phone lines.

This incident was limited to Covered California’s telephone systems, and enrollment and eligibility systems were unaffected. At this time, there is no indication that any personal information was compromised.

The deadline extension will give consumers who are trying to sign up for coverage the time and assistance they need.

Consumers will have until midnight on Friday, Feb. 9, to apply for coverage that would be effective Feb. 1. They can visit CoveredCA.com and get free and confidential help from one of the more than 14,000 certified enrollers throughout the state who can help them sign up, including individuals who can assist in other languages. In addition, consumers can reach the Covered California service center at (800) 300-1506.

This is somewhat noteworthy given that, as I noted a few days ago, Covered California's 2024 Open Enrollment Period is only running slightly ahead of last year, while nearly every other state has seen double digit enrollment increases this year. Regardless, it's not a bad thing to give more people a few extra days to sign up and get coverage. It's also worth noting that the coverage will be retroactive to February 1st.