How Do I Qualify for the Special Enrollment Period?

Open enrollment for major medical health insurance is restricted to only a few months per year, usually November through January. To get enrolled outside of open enrollment you will need to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, or SEP. If you qualify, in most cases you have 60 days to enroll from the date of your qualifying event. You may qualify if any of the following have happened:

• You got married
• You have had a baby or adopted a child
• You have placed a child up for adoption or into foster care
• You moved outside of your insurer’s coverage area
• You have INVOLUNTARILY lost QUALIFIED health coverage
• You recently gained citizenship
• You were released from incarceration
• You gained status as, or are a member of, a federally recognized Native American tribe
• If already enrolled in a marketplace plan, you have experienced a significant change in household income or household status.

If you believe one of these apply to you, you will have 60 days from the event to enroll and you will be required to provide proof of the life event within 3 months of being approved for a health insurance policy.

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