Orange County’s public health system joins Covered California. What it means for residents
Destiny Torres
covers all things SoCal, from breaking news to local government, with a focus on Orange County.
Published Jul 23, 2026 2:14 PM
CalOptima Health, Orange County’s public health care system, joined the Covered California marketplace.
(Adriana Heldiz
/
CalMatters
)
One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we’re 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today
CalOptima Health, the public health system in Orange County, joined the Covered California marketplace this week, allowing members to apply for the 2027 enrollment period.
What is Covered California? It’s the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace that allows residents to compare and shop for private health and dental plans, including L.A. Care, Kaiser Permanente and Blue Shield — and now CalOptima
What does this mean?More than 819,000 residents are enrolled with the OC health provider. CalOptima members who are no longer eligible for Medi-Cal coverage because of income changes could stay with their health provider and avoid a gap in care
Why it matters: Continuity of care is important to one’s health, especially for those with chronic health conditions, officials said. “We understand the challenges people face when their health coverage changes,” Yunkyung Kim, chief operating officer of CalOptima Health, said in a statement. “With CalOptima Health Covered, we are extending our mission by providing an affordable marketplace option that helps individuals and families avoid disruptions in care while continuing to receive quality health coverage from an organization they know and trust.”
What you need to know: CalOptima Health Covered will include four levels of coverage. Open enrollment opens Nov. 1 through Jan. 1, 2027
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
