User Avatar

By Ryan Kennelly

June 28, 2020

Topics:

  • Individual & Family Health Insurance
BACK TO BLOG

Enroll in or change 2021 plans — only with a Special Enrollment Period

June 28, 2020

  • Individual & Family Health Insurance
Enroll in or change 2021 plans — only with a Special Enrollment Period

You have through August 15 to enroll in or change your Health Insurance Marketplace® plan due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency.

You can enroll or change any time if you experience a life event that qualifies 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 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.
  • Died. 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 health 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 prove you had qualifying health coverage for one or more days during the 60 days before your move. You don’t need to provide proof if you’re moving from a foreign country or United States 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 more than 60 days ago but since January 1, 2020) OR expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days.

Coverage losses that may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:

An employer offer 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. Get more information on how your savings may change if you have an individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA offer.

If you qualify to enroll in Marketplace coverage through this Special Enrollment Period, call the Marketplace Call Center to complete your enrollment. You can’t do this online.

More qualifying changes

Other life circumstances that may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period:

  • Gaining membership in a federally recognized tribe or status as an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation shareholder
  • 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

Learn about Special Enrollment Periods for complex issues.

Contact Independent Health Agents for help or assistance reviewing your eligibility and health insurance options.

Phone:  (508) 769-1424

Email:  [email protected]

Want to Join Independent
Health Agents?

We’d be happy to have your join our team of independent agents.

JOIN NOW