FAQs for plans through Covered California
Additional information you need to know about renewing or changing your medical plan purchased through Covered California.
How do I renew my current coverage with Blue Shield?
Want to continue coverage in the health plan you have now? Just keep paying your bill and we’ll automatically renew it for you. Covered California will contact you directly if there is anything you need to do to confirm your premium help (advance federal tax credits and/or subsidy) or if there are any changes to your eligibility. If you want to explore other plan options sold directly through Blue Shield, you can log in and use our renewal tool to guide you through your next steps.
How do I switch to a Blue Shield plan sold through Covered California?
If you decide to switch to a Blue Shield medical plan through Covered California, follow these instructions to make sure you are all set.
- Apply for your new medical plan through Covered California. If you have a broker, contact them for assistance.
- Pay for the first month’s premium. This will be due when you enroll in the new plan.
- Receive your new medical ID card. It will have your new subscriber ID number for your medical plan through Covered California.
- If enrolled in a Trio HMO plan, be sure to confirm that the primary care physician (PCP) listed on your subscriber ID card is your preferred PCP.
- Register for online access for your new medical plan. If you are already registered with your current Blue Shield plan, you will need to use a different email address to register for online access to your new plan.
- Enroll in AutoPay. If you are already enrolled in autopayments for your current plan, you will need to set up new automatic payments for your new plan.
- Call Blue Shield’s Customer Service to cancel your 2023 medical plan from Blue Shield. After you’ve paid for your last month of coverage for your current medical plan, you can cancel your 2023 plan and request an end date for when your new medical plan is effective.
- Prepare for your care needs.
- Contact customer service to transfer any prior authorizations for care or prescriptions to your new plan.
- Make sure your pharmacy has your new medical ID number for any prescription refills or mail order prescriptions.
- Keep your dental plan, vision plan, or life insurance* plan with Blue Shield. When you change to your new medical plan through Covered California, you can keep your dental plan, vision plan, or life insurance* plan you purchased directly from Blue Shield.
* Underwritten by Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company (Blue Shield Life).
** We make efforts to ensure that our list of providers is current and accurate. However, because providers leave networks from time to time, this list is subject to change and you are encouraged to check with the provider before using their services.
