Special Enrollment is a time outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period when you can sign up for health insurance. You generally have 60 days following a Qualifying Life Event to enroll in a new health insurance plan.
You qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you’ve had certain life events including:
Changes in household
- Getting married, divorced, or legally separated
- Having a baby, adopting a child, or placing a child in foster care
- Death of a family member on your health insurance plan
Changes in primary residence
- 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: You must confirm you had qualifying health coverage for one or more days during the 60 days before your move.
Loss of insurance
- Loss of job-based coverage
- Loss of individual coverage
- Losing eligibility for CHIP, Medicaid, or Medicare
- Losing coverage through a family member
Other changes
- 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
Note: You can enroll in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) any time of year, whether you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or not.