Pay Initial or Binder Premium
Your plan does not go into effect until the first month's premium has been paid. This is the most urgent item on the list.
Pay Your Initial or Binder Premium
Your plan does not go into effect until the first month's premium has been paid. This is the most urgent item on the list, and it is the one people most often assume has been handled.
A completed application is not coverage. Until the binder premium is paid you are not insured, and care you receive in the meantime is not covered.
What to do
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If you have not paid it, call the insurance company and make the payment over the phone. Anthem Blue Cross can be reached at 1 (855) 634-3381 and Blue Shield at 1 (855) 836-9705.
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Do this as soon as you get the bill or the welcome packet, rather than waiting for the first of the month, so a mail delay does not leave you with a gap.
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If you enrolled through Covered California, the first payment still goes to the insurance company, not to the exchange. This trips up a lot of people.
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Keep the confirmation number the representative gives you until your insurance card arrives.
Why this one comes first
Every other step on this list assumes you have a policy in force. If the binder premium is unpaid, there is no member account to log into, no network to check, and no claims to look at, because there is no coverage yet.
If you are not sure whether it was paid, call the carrier and ask. It takes two minutes, and it is the cheapest question you will ever ask.
Not Sure If Your Premium Was Paid?
Call us and we will check it with the carrier for you. There is never a charge for our help.