Open Enrollment is the yearly period when people can enroll in a health insurance plan. Those who enroll outside of this period must qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
The 2020 Open Enrollment Period for most states* runs from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, December 15, 2019. Plans sold during Open Enrollment start January 1, 2020.
This means that in order to re-enroll or to enroll in a new health insurance plan, you must complete your application by December 15, 2019.
If you don’t act by December 15, you can’t get 2020 coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Note: If you qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you can apply any time.
*For the following states, the open enrollment starts on November 1, but ends a bit later. Here are those states and their end dates:
- California - January 15
- Colorado - January 15
- Massachusetts - January 23
- Minnesota - December 23
- New York - January 31
- Rhode Island - December 31
- Washington DC - January 31