Income Verification Throwing Some Californians Off Health Plans

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Some Californians who purchased individual health coverage through the state's insurance exchange are suddenly being dropped or transferred to Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program for the poor.

Covered California has no estimate of how many people are affected, saying only that the changes are occurring as incomes are checked to verify the policyholders can purchase insurance through the exchange.

Since the shifts are happening often without warning, there's confusion and anger among policyholders.

The exchange says it adjusted its income eligibility scale this year when the federal government updated the poverty scale. As a result, people near the thresholds are sometimes moved between private health plans and Medi-Cal.

Assemblyman Richard Pan, who chairs the Assembly Health Committee, says he will hold a hearing on how to reduce interruptions.

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