California consumers who were faced with technical problems in their last-minute efforts to apply online for health coverage by the March 31 deadline now have until April 15 to complete an enrollment application, but they must do so with the assistance of a certified agent. This new guidance regarding applications for health coverage through the state exchange was announced by Covered California on March 31.

To align with Covered California, Blue Shield of California has also extended the due date to April 15 for individuals to complete applications for health coverage outside of the exchange.

The extension of time also applies to those individuals, seeking coverage either on- or off-exchange, who may not have been able to start their application by Monday’s deadline. This does not include individuals who want to transfer plans or add dependents to existing policies.