Since the 2020 Open Enrollment period is over, and the 2021 period doesn’t start until November, right now you can ONLY enroll in or change your Marketplace plan if you have a life event that qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period.
Life changes that can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period
Changes in household
You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period 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 first 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 a Special Enrollment Period.
Death. You’ll be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period if someone on your Marketplace plan dies and as a result, you’re no longer eligible for your current plan.
Changes in residence
Household moves that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:
- 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 for medical treatment or staying somewhere for vacation doesn’t qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period.
Important: You must confirm you had qualifying health coverage for one or more days during the 60 days before your move. You don’t need to provide confirmation if you’re moving from a foreign country or U.S. Territory.
Loss of health insurance
You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days OR expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days.
- Coverage losses that may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:
- Losing job-based coverage
- Losing individual health coverage for a plan or policy you bought yourself
- Losing eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP
- Losing eligibility for Medicare
- Losing coverage through a family member
An employer offers to help with the cost of coverage
You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you or anyone in your household newly gained access to an individual coverage HRA or a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) in the past 60 days OR expects to in the next 60 days.
Note: Your employer may refer to an individual coverage HRA by a different name, like the acronym “ICHRA.”
Generally, you’ll need to apply for and enroll in individual health insurance before your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA starts. However, your employer may offer different options for when your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA can start so you have more time to enroll. Contact them or check the notice you got from your employer for more information. If you’re currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan with savings, these savings may change because of the help you get through a job.
More qualifying changes:
- You had COVID-19 or someone in your family whom you cared for had COVID-19 resulting in a loss of job and coverage.
- Gaining membership in a federally recognized tribe or Native status.
- Becoming newly eligible for Marketplace coverage because you became a U.S. citizen.
- Leaving incarceration.
- Starting or ending service as an AmeriCorps State and National, VISTA, or NCCC member.
If you think you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and would like to discuss coverage options, or have questions, please contact us at (623) 889-7600 or fill out the contact form below and one of our local, and licensed experts will reach out to you!