California Health Insurance FAQs

One of the best ways to save money is to compare quotes and the costs of options you select. You can generally save money by having higher deductibles and higher copayments. Maintaining your health by eating healthy food and exercising, and not smoking or drinking excess alcohol, can help keep your health insurance costs as low as possible.

For most people, buying individual insurance is far more costly than becoming a member of a group health insurance policy provided by your employer or organization . If you are in doubt, you can consider the coverage you need, and get quotes to compare individual rates with insurance rates for members of your group.

If you have group health insurance, you may be able to make certain choices but you cannot change the basic plan. If you have individual/family health insurance, you can negotiate with the insurance company to try to get the particular coverage that meets your needs. You may have to pay more for premiums, however.

You can retain coverage on your health insurance policy for a child attending college full time. California law also requires that such coverage cannot be cancelled if a student is forced to take a medical leave. Or you can purchase health insurance as part of your child’s tuition. But be sure that you do not pay double by accepting the college’s health insurance policy when your child is already covered by your own policy.

California law has not changed, despite the new recommendations of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force. State law requires that insurance companies cover mammograms for women as early as age 35. Women age 35 to 39 are entitled to a baseline mammogram, women age 40 to 49 can get a mammogram every two years, and women 50 years of age or older are provided one each year.