As California's economic doldrums persist, many Californians have been laid off or are on the brink of losing their jobs. With any job loss comes the difficult prospect of what to do about health insurance. The choices are not at all simple, and many decisions must be made quickly, with long-term consequences. Although there are multiple options for maintaining coverage, most of the choices are expensive, making the decisions all the more difficult.

The fact sheet explains eight key points about finding affordable health care:

1. Californians who lose employer-based health coverage have just 60 days to make decisions that can permanently limit their options.
2. Extending insurance under COBRA guarantees coverage, but can be very expensive.
3. If employers stop offering coverage, COBRA is not an option, but access to the individual market is assured.
4. Depending on people's circumstances (age, health status, family composition, ability to pay), different options will be better for different people.
5. Parents should consider coverage for their children through public insurance programs (Medi-Cal or Healthy Families).
6. Getting coverage from multiple sources may be an option.
7. Californians with significant health care needs should consider MRMIP and PCIP. Double-digit premium reductions for PCIP were announced in August 2011 to assist more qualifying consumers in affording that program. 
8. If Californians can't afford to continue coverage, they can still get access to health care.

The fact sheet includes frequently asked questions and provides a list of resources. The complete fact sheet is available under Document Downloads.