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KPBS Midday Edition

Californians Must Have Health Insurance In 2020, Or Face Penalty

A mother and daughter wait to meet with an enrollment counselor to sign up for health insurance at a Covered California event in Sacramento, Feb. 12, 2015.
Associated Press
A mother and daughter wait to meet with an enrollment counselor to sign up for health insurance at a Covered California event in Sacramento, Feb. 12, 2015.
A new state law requires Californians to have health insurance in 2020 or face a penalty on their state taxes. This follows the repeal of the individual mandate at the federal level, which took effect in 2019.

A new state law going into effect Jan. 1 requires Californians to have health insurance in 2020 or face a penalty on their state taxes.

This follows the repeal of the individual mandate at the federal level, which took effect in 2019. California's individual mandate is part of a state budget deal struck by Democratic legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom over the summer.

Covered California was created in 2014 to offer state residents subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Covered California's enrollment period for health coverage in 2020 starts Tuesday and runs through Jan. 31.

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RELATED: California’s Individual Mandate: A Fix For A Broken System? Or A Penalty On The Poor?

The executive director of Covered California, Peter Lee, joined Midday Edition on Monday to discuss who's eligible for health insurance subsidies and how to enroll.