Dependable healthcare coverage is still in reach at affordable rates through healthcare.gov special enrollment. Since the open enrollment period for this year is over, you can only enroll in or change a health insurance plan if you qualify for special enrollment period.
Depending on your circumstances, you may have 60 days before or 60 days following a life event to enroll in a plan. You may be asked yo provide documents to confirm the life event that makes you eligible. You must provide such documents before you can start using your coverage.
Qualifying Life Changes
Life changes that can qualify you for special enrollment include:
- If you qualified for special enrollment but missed your deadline to enroll in coverage because you were impacted by the COVID-19 emergency you may be eligible.
- If you or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days (or more than 60 days ago but since January 1, 2020) OR expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days, you may qualify.
Qualifying Changes in Household
You may qualify for a special enrollment if you or anyone in your household in the past 60 days:
- Got married. Pick a plan by the last day of the month and your coverage can start the first day of the next month.
- Had a baby, adopted a child, or placed a child for foster care. Your coverage can start the day of the event – even if you enroll in the plan up to 60 days afterward.
- Got divorced or legally separated and lost health insurance. Note: Divorce or legal separation without losing coverage doesn’t qualify you for special enrollment.
- Died. You’ll be eligible for special enrollment if someone on your Marketplace plan dies and as a result you’re no longer eligible for your current health plan.
Qualifying Changes in Residence
Household moves that qualify you for special enrollment include:
- Moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county.
- Moving to the U.S. from a foreign country or United States territory
- If you’re a student, moving to or from the place you attend school
- If you’re a seasonal worker, moving to or from the place you both live and work
- Moving to or from a shelter or other transitional housing
- Note: Moving only medial treatment or stating somewhere for vacation doesn’t qualify you fro special enrollment.
- Important: You must prove you had qualifying health coverage for one or more days during the 60 days before the move.
Loss of Health Insurance
You may qualify for special enrollment if you or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days (or move than 60 days ago but since January 1, 2020( OR expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days.
Important: If you lost coverage more than 60 days ago, but since January 1, 2020, and didn’t enroll sooner because you were impacted by the COVID-19 emergency declared by FEMA, you may still qualify for special enrollment.