Special Enrollment Period

You can buy health coverage outside of the open enrollment period only when you have a qualifying life event—through a special enrollment period (SEP). Most SEPs last 60 days from the date of the qualifying life event.

Qualifying life events for a SEP include:

• Getting married or entering a domestic partnership
• Child aging off a plan
• Gaining a dependent or becoming a dependent through marriage, birth, adoption, or placement for adoption or foster care
• Permanently moving to a new area that has different health plan options
• Employer coverage that is not considered minimum essential coverage
• Loosing other healthcare coverage that is considered minimum essential coverage, such as due to job loss or expiration of COBRA coverage
• Returning from active military service
• Change in eligibility for advanced premium tax credit or cost-sharing subsidies

Please note that voluntarily terminating other health coverage or being terminated for not paying premiums is not considered a qualifying event.