Each calendar quarter, Curri will make a healthcare subsidy available to eligible gig drivers in California. To be eligible to receive the subsidy, drivers must average at least 15 hours of active delivery time per week in the quarter and be enrolled in a qualifying health plan. This article explains what the healthcare subsidy amount is, who is eligible, and the amount of the subsidy.
Healthcare subsidy amount
The subsidy is based on the average ACA contribution to the average statewide monthly premium for the bronze health insurance plan as published by Covered California. Currently, the average monthly Covered California premium cost, which is $597 per month (or, $1791 per quarter).
Healthcare subsidy eligibility
Every calendar quarter, California gig drivers who average between 15 and 25 hours per week of active delivery time (for deliveries that start in California) will be entitled to receive 50% of the subsidy in that quarter. Drivers who average 25+ hours per week of active delivery time will get 100% of the subsidy in that quarter. To determine a driver's weekly average, active delivery hours are added up over the entire quarter and divided by the number of weeks.
Calendar quarters are as follows:
January 1 – March 31
April 1 – June 30
July 1 – September 30
October 1 – December 31
Qualifying health insurance
In order to receive the subsidy for any calendar quarter, a driver who has met the minimum average hours per week must show proof of enrollment in a qualifying health plan. To be a qualifying health plan, the following requirements must be met:
The driver is the subscriber of the plan.
The plan is not sponsored by an employer and isn’t Medicare, Medicaid, or Medi-Cal.
The plan must qualify as providing minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Visit Covered California for examples of health plans that qualify under the Affordable Care Act.
The plan must have been active during the quarter for which the driver is seeking a subsidy.
Proof of enrollment
To receive a subsidy, a driver must submit at least one of the following, showing that all of the above requirements for their health plan have been met:
A copy of the driver's Covered California Proof of Coverage document.
A picture of the driver's current health insurance card. It must clearly show that the driver is the subscriber and the name of the health plan; or
A screenshot showing proof of enrollment from Covered California's dashboard. To access the dashboard:
Log in to the Covered California website.
At the bottom of consumer's Home page, tap 'View Enrollment Dashboard' under the 'Manage My Application' section.
Take a screenshot of the dashboard. Be sure it includes your name, the coverage status, and the health plan.
For each quarter, a driver must submit documentation within 15 days of receiving notice from Curri of eligibility for a health care subsidy to be eligible to receive a subsidy for that quarter.
Notice of eligibility
At the end of every calendar quarter, Curri will notify all drivers who are eligible to receive a health care subsidy for that quarter by email. Drivers will have 15 days from the date of the email to provide proof of their qualifying health insurance.
Payment of the subsidy
Drivers who are eligible to receive the healthcare subsidy and provide timely proof of enrollment in a qualifying healthcare plan will receive the subsidy as a one-time compliance payment to their driver account within 30 days of submitting their proof of enrollment.