Covered California™
Health Insurance Assistance

Covered California™

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Covered California™ is California’s health insurance exchange where individuals, families, and small businesses can find affordable health insurance.


Open Enrollment Is Starting Soon!

Covered California’s open enrollment period for 2025–2026 is from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026. During this time, anyone can apply for a health insurance plan through Covered California.

If you don’t apply during open enrollment, you’ll usually be denied coverage until the next open enrollment period. However, you can apply outside of open enrollment if you experience a qualifying life event.

Qualifying Life Events

If you experience a qualifying life event, you can enroll in a Covered California health insurance plan outside of the normal open-enrollment period. Most special-enrollment periods last 60 days from the date of the qualifying life event.

These events include:

  • Household income decreased to less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level **
  • Pandemic (e.g., COVID-19) or national public health emergency
  • Paid the penalty for not having health insurance
  • Lost or will soon lose your health insurance
  • Affected by wildfires or other publicly declared state of emergency
  • Newly qualified for health insurance stipend
  • Got married or entered into domestic partnership
  • Had a baby, adopted a child, or began fostering a child
  • Permanently moved to or within California
  • Gained citizenship/lawful presence
  • Returned from active-duty military service
  • Domestic abuse or spousal abandonment
  • Federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native
  • Released from jail or prison
  • Other qualifying life event

For most qualifying life events, your coverage will start on the first day of the following month after you select a plan.

**For 2025, your expected income is less than $23,475 as a single person, less than $31,725 for a household of two people, less than $39,975 for a household of three people, or less than $48,225 for a household of four people. (For other household sizes, see the Federal Poverty Level Chart under the 150 percent column.)

For more information to see how Covered California can help, visit the following page: Covered California™ | The Official Site of California’s Health Insurance Marketplace. The website has a shop-and-compare calculator that helps individuals and families determine potential insurance costs or Medi-Cal eligibility based on family size and income.


Free Assistance

Clinica Sierra Vista’s enrollment specialists provide FREE assistance with:

  • Plan renewals
  • Answering questions
  • Reviewing and updating your information and forms
  • Comparing costs, plans, finding lower monthly premiums
  • And more

Clinica Sierra Vista offers a Health Insurance Assistance Program that can help you with your application free of charge. Give us a call at (661) 328-4245 in Kern County or (855) 867-7216 in Fresno County to find a nearby location.

Program Objectives

  • At least 80% of interns complete program/degree requirements within 13.5 months (150% of planned program length).
  • Of graduates who seek employment, at least 100% are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
  • At least 80% of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
  • The program’s one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
  • 80% of employers, who return surveys, rate graduates as “satisfactory” or “excellent” for ability to work effectively with multicultural populations from diverse backgrounds.
  • 90% of program graduates work as entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in community nutrition.
  • 90% of graduates work in Central Valley community programs for at least two years after graduation.

Do I Qualify for WIC?

WIC is a program that helps families with food and nutrition. Call us at (661) 862-5422 or send a message, and we’ll help you see if you qualify.

Here are some ways you might qualify:

  • You are pregnant
  • You are breastfeeding a baby who is less than one year old
  • You had a baby in the last six months
  • You have a child who is under the age of five
  • You experienced a loss of pregnancy or had a termination

You also need to think about your family’s income. Here are the monthly income limits for family sizes:

  • 1 Person: $2,413
  • 2 Persons: $3,261
  • 3 Persons: $4,109
  • 4 Persons: $4,957
  • 5 Persons: $5,805
  • More than 5 Persons: Add $848 for each additional member

This income limit is based on 185% of the Federal Poverty Level, and these amounts will be effective from April 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

Also, if you’re pregnant, the baby counts as part of your family size when figuring out if you qualify.

Get Care Right Away

Need care right away? Our health centers offer same-day appointments, and our walk-in clinics also offer extended hours. Whether you schedule ahead or stop by, we’re here to deliver fast, high-quality care when and where you need it.

Visit Your Preferred Location

We make it easy to choose the clinic that works best for you. Keep in mind that your preferred location may mean seeing a different provider. Either way, you’ll receive compassionate, expert care from our trusted team, no matter which clinic you visit.

See Your Preferred Provider

Our providers work across multiple clinics to make care accessible, so their location may vary based on availability. No matter where you’re seen, you can trust our dedicated team to deliver the high-quality care you deserve.