Special Enrollment Period (SEP): events that let you enroll outside the usual dates

What is a Special Enrollment Period?

A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) lets you purchase or change your Marketplace health insurance outside Open Enrollment when a qualifying life event occurs.

You generally have a 60-day window from the date of the event. If you let it pass, you'll normally have to wait for the next Open Enrollment.

Events that may qualify

• Loss of health coverage, for example the involuntary termination of Medicaid, CHIP, school insurance or a previous plan.
• Marriage or legal union.
• Birth or adoption of a child.
• Moving to a new ZIP code, county or state that changes the available plans.
• Turning 26 and leaving your parents' plan.
• Divorce or legal separation, when it involves losing the coverage you had.
• Change in immigration status, such as obtaining permanent residency or a work permit.
• Loss of your employer's plan, because it stopped offering it or your work hours changed.

How to act if you had an event

• Note the exact date of the event: the 60 days are counted from then.
• Gather the document that proves it, such as a cancellation letter, a certificate or a rental agreement.
• In case of loss of coverage, you can normally start the process before your current plan ends.
• Don't wait until the last day: verifications can take time.

Medicaid and CHIP, year-round

If your income is within your state's limits, you can apply for Medicaid or CHIP at any time of year, without depending on an enrollment period.