What 'private health insurance' means in California
Major-medical plans sold outside Covered California by carriers that lease national PPO networks — in California, Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO. They cover doctor visits, hospitalization, surgery, prescriptions and preventive care, with deductibles and an out-of-pocket maximum. Because they're medically underwritten, healthy applicants are priced lower than a guaranteed-issue pool.
Who qualifies
Generally healthy applicants, ages 18–64, with no major pre-existing conditions. There's a short health questionnaire and a prescription-history check; no exam. Serious conditions can be declined or excluded — if that's your situation, the marketplace is the right answer and we'll say so.
What they cost in California
Individuals roughly $290–$600 a month by age and deductible; families roughly $800–$1,300. Enroll any month; apply by the 20th for the 1st. See live prices on our quoting tool.
California regulates non-ACA coverage more tightly than most states, and the state mandate and Covered California's state subsidies change the math for many people, so private options here are narrower and the honest answer is often a careful comparison, not a promise of savings.