Special Election Period (SEP) in effect for California

Special Enrollment Period: California Emergency Declaration - Severe Winter Storms

Please be advised that a state of emergency was declared, impacting individuals in certain California counties. This declaration allows for a one-time Special Enrollment Period (SEP), in the event beneficiaries were unable to make an election during another qualifying election period. Please reference the following guidelines for the incident period. This SEP applies to the following counties in California.

Important Compliance Information

Who is eligible:

This SEP opportunity is ONLY available to beneficiaries who:​

• Reside, or resided at the start of the SEP eligibility period described in this guidance, in an area for which a federal, state or local government entity has declared a disaster or other emergency or they do not reside in an affected area but rely on help making healthcare decisions from one or more individuals who reside in an affected area; and
• Were eligible for another election period at the time of the SEP eligibility period, and;
• Did not make an election during that other valid election period due to the disaster or other emergency.

Details:

Impacted Counties: Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma, and Tulare

Incident Period: The incident period occurred March 1, 2023 and is ongoing. The declaration was announced on March 1, 2023.

Timeframe: Effective immediately, individuals meeting the requirements listed above can enroll, dis-enroll, or switch MAPD plans until TBD.

*Note: Eligible enrollments will be effective the first of the month after the application has been processed.

Reminders:

Agents can accept/submit an application by the beneficiary’s request through the following steps:

1. Obtain a compliant Consent to Contact (C2C).
2. Capture a compliant Scope of Appointment (SOA).
3. Host a compliant 1:1 appointment.
4. If the beneficiary is prepared to enroll, complete an application noting this SEP, either by selecting the “Emergency or Major Disaster” option or writing "Severe Weather" in the "Other" option. WARNING! Only select one election type.