Covered California
Covered California is California's official state-based ACA health insurance marketplace, connecting 1.9 million residents with subsidized private health plans, dental and vision coverage, Medi-Cal integration, and small business options across eleven carrier partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSacramento, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Covered California does
Covered California is California's state-based health insurance marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act (operational since 2013, with founding tied to 2011 legislation), headquartered in Sacramento. It functions as the exclusive state channel through which California residents can access ACA financial assistance to lower individual health insurance premiums, serving 1.9 million enrollees in the 2026 plan year and historically reaching over 16 million residents. The organization connects consumers with private health plans from eleven carrier partners (Anthem, Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, Sharp, Health Net, Molina, Valley Health, Balance, IEHP, LA Care, Western Health) across four metal tiers (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) in HMO and PPO structures, with optional dental and vision add-ons and a separate small business product line (CCSB).
The core technology platform is CalHEERS (California Health Insurance Eligibility and Enrollment System), shared with Medi-Cal. In April 2026, Covered California expanded its partnership with Google Public Sector and Deloitte Consulting to deploy Google Cloud's Document AI within CalHEERS, automating verification across 25 document types and reducing processing time from up to 72 hours to under 5 seconds, with a 54% automation rate and an estimated 24,000 hours of annual service center savings. The platform is FedRAMP-certified and includes fraud detection. Distribution is multi-channel: a self-service online portal, a phone service center supporting 13+ languages, paper applications, county Medi-Cal offices, and a statewide network of 11,000 certified enrollers providing free in-person assistance.
Covered California is a California state government agency; it generates revenue through carrier participation fees (marketplace commissions) and does not charge consumers for enrollment assistance. It jointly sponsors the CoveredCA.com platform with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), enabling unified enrollment across Covered California plans and Medi-Cal. In May 2026, Covered California entered a multipayer primary care payment reform initiative with CalPERS and DHCS, collectively covering nearly 45% of California residents. For 2026, the state allocated $190 million in California-funded premium subsidies following the expiration of enhanced federal ACA subsidies.
Covered California firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Covered California
- Legal name
- Covered California
- Website
- https://coveredca.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Covered California is California's official state-based ACA health insurance marketplace, connecting 1.9 million residents with subsidized private health plans, dental and vision coverage, Medi-Cal integration, and small business options across eleven carrier partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Covered California industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Health Insurance Marketplace
- NAICS
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242), Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524)
- SIC
- Hospital & Medical Service Plans (6324), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- ACA Marketplace (On-Exchange) Individual Plans (FSAIAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100) (FSAIAFAD), Fully Insured Small Group Plans (HLAEAAAB)
Keywords
Where Covered California is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sacramento
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Covered California business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Health Insurance Carrier Fees: Covered California functions as a government-established marketplace where health insurance carriers pay fees to participate and offer plans. The marketplace does not charge consumers for enrollment assistance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Bronze tier - lowest monthly premium, highest deductible |
| Subscription | Monthly | Silver tier - moderate premium with cost-sharing reductions |
| Subscription | Monthly | Gold tier - higher premium, lower out-of-pocket costs |
| Subscription | Monthly | Platinum tier - highest premium, lowest deductible |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Covered California product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Covered California operates California's state-based health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act, providing individuals and families access to qualified health plans from multiple participating insurance carriers. It aggregates metal-tier plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), dental and vision coverage, the Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) program, and integrates with the Medi-Cal public program while administering federal Advanced Premium Tax Credits and the state-funded California Premium Subsidy.
Product overview
Covered California is a state-based health insurance marketplace established under the Affordable Care Act. The core offering is the Covered California Health Insurance Marketplace, which connects California residents with private health insurance plans from partnered carriers (Anthem, Blue Shield, Sharp, Kaiser Permanente, Health Net, Molina, Valley Health, Balance, IEHP, LA Care, Western Health) and provides access to financial assistance including Advanced Premium Tax Credits and state-funded subsidies. The platform offers metal-tier plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) in HMO and PPO network types, with optional add-on dental and vision coverage. A companion program, Covered California for Small Business (CCSB), serves small business employers. The underlying CalHEERS system, developed in partnership with Google Public Sector and Deloitte, provides eligibility determination and enrollment processing, augmented in 2026 with AI-powered document verification that reduced verification time from 72 hours to under 5 seconds across 25 document types, achieving 54% automation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Covered California Individual Health Insurance Marketplace California's state-based ACA marketplace offering qualified individual and family health plans from participating carriers across Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum metal tiers, with federal Advanced Premium Tax Credits and state-funded California Premium Subsidy for eligible California residents.
- Medi-Cal Eligibility Integration
Quantifiable outcome
- 1.9 million enrollees maintained for 2026 despite 10% premium increases and subsidy changes
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Covered California
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Covered California technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability4 records
Feature3 records
Covered California partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- CalPERSflagshipCovered California, CalPERS, and California DHCS formed a collaborative initiative leveraging collective coverage of nearly 45% of state residents to drive primary care investment. The three largest public health purchasers are working together on multipayer primary care payment reform.
- California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS)flagshipDHCS, Covered California, and CalPERS collectively cover nearly 45% of California residents and are aligning efforts to strengthen primary care delivery across over 18 million Californians through shared payment reform frameworks.
- Google Public SectorcoreExpanded partnership to implement Google Cloud's Document AI technology into CalHEERS, California's health insurance eligibility and enrollment platform. The AI system automates document verification across 25 document types, reducing manual tasks by 40% and cutting verification time from up to three weeks to real-time processing.
- Deloitte Consulting LLPcoreDeloitte serves as implementation partner for the Google Cloud Document AI integration into CalHEERS. The solution has achieved 54% automation rate and 24,000 hours annual savings. Deloitte has since applied this replicable solution to other government programs including Maryland's childcare subsidy and Nevada's timesheet verification.
- California Department of Health Care ServicescoreJoint sponsorship of CoveredCA.com where both organizations collaborate to support health insurance shoppers in getting coverage and care that is right for them. Shared enrollment application connects consumers with both Covered California plans and Medi-Cal programs.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Covered California competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Stride Health: Digital enrollment platform for individual health insurance including ACA plans, with a focus on gig workers and self-employed consumers. Comparable as an emerging digital alternative for ACA enrollment targeting similar individual buyer segments.
- Wellthie: Digital broker and enrollment technology provider focused on individual health insurance shopping and decision support. Comparable as an emerging technology-enabled enrollment intermediary addressing the same individual ACA buyer journey as Covered California.
Broad incumbents
- eHealth: Public-traded private health insurance exchange and brokerage offering individual, family, and Medicare plans from multiple carriers. Operates adjacent to Covered California's marketplace model but as a private commercial intermediary rather than a state entity.
- HealthCare.gov: The federal ACA marketplace serving states that did not establish their own exchanges. Functions as the broad incumbent alternative to state-based marketplaces like Covered California, with similar eligibility and enrollment mechanics at national scale.
Direct peers
- Connecticut Access Health CT: Connecticut's official ACA marketplace. Comparable as a smaller state-based exchange providing individual health plans, premium tax credits, and carrier fee revenue through a state-chartered entity.
- Massachusetts Health Connector: Massachusetts' state-based ACA marketplace with a comparable operating model: state-established exchange, individual/SHOP plans, premium tax credits, and carrier fee revenue. Closely mirrors Covered California's structure.
- Maryland Health Connection: Maryland's state-based health insurance marketplace. Direct peer in operating model and scale; notably, Deloitte has already replicated the CalHEERS-style AI verification solution into Maryland's childcare subsidy program via the same partnership.
- Washington Healthplanfinder: Washington state's ACA marketplace offering individual and family health plans with subsidy administration. A direct state-based peer with similar enrollment, eligibility determination, and carrier participation mechanics.
- NY State of Health: New York's official state-based health insurance marketplace operating under the ACA. Directly comparable as a state-established exchange offering individual and small-group plans with financial assistance and carrier fees.
Others
- GetInsured: Technology vendor that builds and operates state-based health insurance exchange platforms (including for several state marketplaces). Comparable as the underlying SaaS infrastructure provider that powers exchange experiences similar to Covered California's CalHEERS.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Covered California social profiles
Digital presenceCovered California compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Covered California financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Covered California leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Covered California funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Covered California M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Covered California
What does Covered California do?
Covered California operates California's state-based health insurance marketplace under the Affordable Care Act, providing individuals and families access to qualified health plans from multiple participating insurance carriers. It aggregates metal-tier plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), dental and vision coverage, the Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) program, and integrates with the Medi-Cal public program while administering federal Advanced Premium Tax Credits and the state-funded California Premium Subsidy.
Is Covered California a public or private company?
Covered California is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Covered California founded?
Covered California was founded in 2013. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Covered California based?
Covered California is headquartered in Sacramento, United States, in the North America region.
How does Covered California make money?
One revenue line is on record: health Insurance Carrier Fees.
Who are Covered California's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Stride Health and Wellthie. Broad incumbents are eHealth and HealthCare.gov. Direct peers are Connecticut Access Health CT, Massachusetts Health Connector, Maryland Health Connection, Washington Healthplanfinder and NY State of Health. GetInsured is listed as an others.
Does Covered California have an API?
No public API is recorded for Covered California.
What industry is Covered California in?
Covered California's product category is Health Insurance Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAIAEAA, ACA Marketplace (On-Exchange) Individual Plans, with a secondary code of FSAIAFAD, Small Group Health Insurance (2–50/100). Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6324.