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Employee Benefits

Can you Buy or Change an Individual Insurance Plan Outside of Open Enrollment?

By February 25, 2014July 29th, 2019No Comments

In general, you can have a special enrollment opportunity to sign up for individual, non-group coverage during the year, other than during Open Enrollment period, if you have a qualifying life event. Events that trigger a special enrollment opportunity are:

  • Loss of eligibility for other coverage (for example if you quit your job or were laid off or if your hours were reduced, or if you lose student health coverage when you graduate) Note that loss of eligibility for other coverage because you didn’t pay premiums does not trigger a special enrollment opportunity
  • Gaining a dependent (for example, if you get married or give birth to or adopt a child). Note that pregnancy does NOT trigger a special enrollment opportunity.
  • Divorce or legal separation
  • Loss of dependent status (for example, “aging off” a parents’ plan when you turn 26)
  • Moving to another state or within a state if you move outside of your health plan service area
  • Exhaustion of COBRA coverage
  • Losing eligibility for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program
  • For people enrolled in a Marketplace plan, income increases or decreases enough to change your eligibility for subsidies
  • Change in immigration status
  • Enrollment or eligibility error made by the Marketplace or another government agency or somebody, such as an assister, acting on their behalf.

Note that some triggering events will only qualify you for a special enrollment opportunity in the health insurance Marketplace; they do not apply in the outside market. For example, if you gain citizenship or lawfully present status, the Marketplace must provide you with a special enrollment opportunity.

When you experience a qualifying event, your special enrollment opportunity will last 60 days from the date of that triggering event.

States have flexibility to expand special enrollment opportunities for consumers. Check with your State Marketplace for more information.

 

Courtesy: kff.org

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