Covered California, the state's health insurance marketplace, has announced that Californians who have coverage through COBRA are eligible to enroll in Covered California plans through July 15, 2014. The announcement comes on the heels of a ruling by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allowing COBRA enrollees to purchase plans through the federal health insurance exchange.

Federal COBRA allows individuals who left or lost their jobs to continue on their former employer's health insurance plan for up to 18 months. Cal-COBRA (California's COBRA plan) allows Californians to stay on COBRA for an additional 18 months.

Individuals on both federal and Cal-COBRA plans must pay the full cost of the premium, making this option prohibitively expensive for many. Switching from COBRA to a Covered California plan could save consumers who qualify for cost-sharing subsidies or tax breaks significantly on premium costs.

The agents at BenefitPackages are specially trained on the new healthcare law and are certified to help consumers understand their eligibility for cost-sharing subsidies and to enroll in Covered California plans.

BenefitPackages urges Californians on COBRA plans to contact the agency immediately to understand their options for coverage and for assistance switching to a Covered California plan. Visit http://www.benefitpackages.com/ or call 1-800-356-3615 for assistance.

About BenefitPackagesBenefitPackages is a Southern California-based insurance agency representing several well-known, reputable health insurance carriers, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California. The Certified Insurance Agency is thoroughly trained on the new healthcare law and assists consumers enrolling in Covered California plans. BenefitPackages has been helping individuals, businesses, and seniors to find affordable California health insurance for more than two decades.