A major life change can open a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), which gives you 60 days to enroll in or change an ACA Marketplace plan outside of the regular Open Enrollment window. You don't have to wait until November to get covered or to update your plan when your family's situation changes.
These are the qualifying life events that trigger a Special Enrollment Period:
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Getting married or divorced (with loss of coverage)
- Losing employer-sponsored health coverage
- Moving to a new zip code, county, or state
- A dependent aging off your plan at 26
- Losing Medicaid or CHIP eligibility
- A significant change in household income that affects your subsidy eligibility
Once a qualifying event occurs, you typically have 60 days to enroll in or change your coverage. The clock starts from the date of the event, so acting quickly matters. The 60-day window starts from the date of the qualifying event itself, not from when you report it. If you had a baby three weeks ago and haven't enrolled the baby yet, you have roughly five more weeks to act. Don't wait.
One important note: the low-income monthly Special Enrollment Period that was available in recent years has been eliminated. The only way to enroll mid-year is through a qualifying life event SEP or through Medicaid and CHIP, which remain open year-round.
If you've had a qualifying event, we can open your SEP and walk you through plan options the same day. Call us at (305) 330-1277 or Check your coverage options right away, since your 60-day window is already running.
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