When Can You Get Health Insurance? Open Enrollment and Special Enrollment Periods
Learning goal: Know the Marketplace Open Enrollment dates, which life events open a Special Enrollment Period, and how fast you need to act after one.
Short answer
On the Marketplace, Open Enrollment runs from November 1 to January 15. Enroll by December 15 for coverage starting January 1. Outside that window, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period from a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage, moving, marriage or a new baby, usually within 60 days. Medicaid and CHIP accept applications any time.
Read to the end to complete this lesson.
On this page
The Fuller Picture
HealthCare.gov lists the events that can qualify: changes in household, like marriage, a birth or adoption; changes in residence; and loss of qualifying coverage, including job-based coverage or aging off a parent's plan. Choosing to drop coverage doesn't qualify on its own. Employer plans have their own open enrollment, and also allow special enrollment after certain events.
Key Takeaways
- HealthCare.gov: December 15 is the "Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1."
- Open Enrollment ends January 15; coverage then starts February 1.
- Loss of coverage can qualify you if it happened in the past 60 days or is expected in the next 60.
- After a birth or adoption, coverage can start the day of the event, even if you enroll up to 60 days afterward.
- Medicaid and CHIP applications are accepted at any time.
Real-World Example
Malik
Malik's employer coverage ends on June 30 when he leaves his job. He applies on the Marketplace in early June, because losing coverage in the next 60 days qualifies him for a Special Enrollment Period. His new plan starts July 1 with no gap. If he had waited until September, more than 60 days after losing coverage, he'd likely have to wait for Open Enrollment.
Common Mistakes
- Missing the 60-day window after a life event.
- Assuming dropping coverage voluntarily opens a Special Enrollment Period.
- Enrolling after December 15 and expecting coverage on January 1.
- Not knowing Medicaid and CHIP accept applications any time.
Interactive Exercise
Plan Your Enrollment Dates
Mark the dates that apply to you.
Tick each step as you do it. Your checklist is saved in this browser.
Knowledge Check
Question: You lost job-based coverage 45 days ago. Can you enroll in a Marketplace plan now, outside Open Enrollment?
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- Insurance Preparedness Checklist: Twelve insurance questions worth having an answer to, with a place to learn more about each one you have not looked at yet. No score.
Related Insurance Terms
Related Scenarios
Questions to explore next
Questions readers often ask next about this topic:
- Does my life event qualify for a Special Enrollment Period?
- When would my coverage start?
- What documents do I need to prove a life event?
- Can I change plans after Open Enrollment?
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The factual claims on this page were checked against these sources. Rules and figures change, so check the source itself if you need to confirm the current version.
- healthcare.govWhen can you get health insurance? · HealthCare.gov (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- healthcare.govGetting health coverage outside Open Enrollment · HealthCare.gov (U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
Educational information, not advice: This lesson is for general education only, not legal, financial, or insurance advice. Actual coverage, discounts, and requirements depend on your policy’s wording, your insurer, and the laws of your state. Confirm specifics with your own insurer or a licensed agent before making a decision. Insurpedia does not sell insurance and does not recommend specific insurers. Dates and Special Enrollment rules are from HealthCare.gov for the federal Marketplace. Some states run their own Marketplaces with different dates. Educational information.