January 23, 2023
Don’t wait for Open Enrollment in November
to get premium assistance for quality health insurance
The federal Health Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period allows you to purchase a private health insurance Marketplace plan or make changes to an existing one after Open Enrollment ended on January 15, 2023.
You could be one of the 4 out of 5 people qualifying for a health plan at $10 or less a month.
To qualify for the Special Enrollment Period, you must have experienced one of these 17 life changes. Such changes are known as “qualifying life events.” You likely have a qualifying life event, if:
- Your income is between 100 and 150% of the federal poverty level;
- You get married;
- You get divorced;
- You have a baby or adopt a child;
- The death of an individual living in your home reduces your reported household size;
- You experience a change in household size that impacts what you report to the government for your household tax subsidy;
- You have a change in income (either an increase or decrease) and need to report it to adjust your tax subsidy;
- You have an increase in income and no longer qualify for Medicaid;
- You lose your employer health insurance coverage;
- Your health insurance plan cancels your coverage, even though you’ve paid your premiums;
- Your COBRA coverage expires;
- You turn 26 years old and can no longer stay on your parent’s healthcare plan;
- You move to a different ZIP code;
- You are released from jail;
- You experience domestic abuse;
- You are discharged from the Armed Forces; and
- When applying for health insurance, an error is made – either human or technical error – which results in you not obtaining coverage.
The Special Enrollment Period typically lasts for 60 days, beginning on the first day of your qualifying life event. In certain cases, as with losing health coverage, it is possible to enroll up to 60 days before the event occurs.
Contact us to get more information and help with special enrollment.
sbchamber@scsbc.org