Generally speaking, the annual open enrollment period is the only time under the Affordable Care Act that you can purchase a health insurance plan, seek financial assistance to help pay for coverage, or transfer plans. This regulation aims to prevent people from delaying getting health insurance until they become unwell or believe they may become ill.

In the event that you are uninsured, the next opportunity to acquire health insurance through the healthcare.gov marketplace will be on Nov. 1, 2024, until mid-January 20, 25 (the precise dates varying based on your state of residence).

Even though the 2024 health insurance open enrollment session is now over, if you met certain requirements in your life, you can still be eligible for a special registration period. In this instance, you normally have 60 days starting on the date of the event to get marketplace insurance. These are the top seven qualifying events and life changes that affect eligibility for the special enrollment period.

1. Leaving your job (or involuntary loss of health coverage)

You may be eligible for a special enrollment period if you had insurance and lost it due to no fault of your own. Resigning from a job and losing your employer-based health insurance is a typical example of this.

Remember that if you apply for insurance through the health insurance marketplace, your income may vary and you may be eligible for a subsidy that pays for all or most of your premiums. But be advised that you might have to repay part or all of the tax credit when you submit your taxes if your annual income is higher than you anticipated when you applied for the subsidy.

Remaining covered by your employer’s COBRA policy is an additional choice. You will not, however, be eligible for another special enrollment period if you enroll in COBRA and choose to cancel before it expires.

2. Getting Married

You can be eligible for a special enrollment period after you get married. After your wedding, you have sixty days to purchase health insurance, transfer to a new health plan, or include your spouse in your current plan.

You or your spouse must have had health insurance for at least one of the 60 days prior to the marriage in order to be eligible for special enrollment. You are not eligible to enroll in a new health plan using marriage as a qualifying life event if neither of you had minimum essential coverage at the time. If you qualify for special enrollment, your coverage starts on the first of the month after you submit your application.

3. Getting Divorced

Most states grant you 60 days during your special enrollment period to locate a new plan (via the marketplace or privately) if you were receiving health insurance through your spouse’s coverage and you get divorced. You can be eligible for a whole or partial premium subsidy for your health insurance if your income is lower as a single individual.

4. New Dependents

You are eligible for a special enrollment period if you recently become the guardian of a dependent, possibly via adoption, birth, or placement in foster care. If your parent or another dependent family member moves in with you, you can also qualify. When adding a new dependent to your policy, you have sixty days to make changes to it. You can also buy health insurance during this time if you didn’t have any when you added the dependent.

5. A Permanent Move

You are not automatically eligible for a unique enrollment period just because you moved. Moving a few blocks away, for instance, does not qualify as a qualifying life event. But the majority of health insurance policies are region-specific. You have sixty days to locate a new insurance if you relocate outside of the region that your plan now covers, even if it’s within the same state.

You must have had minimal coverage for at least one of the 60 days prior to the move in order to be eligible for special enrollment following a move. However, there are some exceptions, such as if you recently got out of jail or are relocating to the United States from overseas.

Here’s a Tip: You can change plans when relocating between states if you own and reside in multiple states throughout the year. But be advised that if you switch plans in the middle of the year, your deductible can reset. If you have access to one, a national plan would be a wise choice in this situation.

6. Change in Citizenship

During the year, obtaining U.S. citizenship or becoming a legal immigrant in the country may also qualify as a qualifying life event for special enrollment. You can get health insurance through a government-sponsored marketplace if you are a citizen or lawful immigrant of the United States, and you might even be eligible for subsidies to help lower the cost of premiums.

7. Leaving Incarceration

You are eligible for a special enrollment period after being released from jail or other forms of incarceration, during which you can buy health insurance.

Is there still a penalty for not having health coverage?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 eliminated the requirement that people obtain health insurance, therefore most states no longer charge penalties for not having it. In terms of sanctions for non-compliance in 2024, only California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C.

Is there a way to get healthcare coverage if I missed open enrollment and don’t qualify for a special enrollment period?

You can apply for a short-term health insurance plan if you wish to enroll in a health plan outside of the open enrollment period but are not eligible for a special enrollment period. A short-term plan does not cover pre-existing ailments and is only intended to be temporary.

Recall that you don’t need to wait for an open enrollment period to sign up for state Medicaid coverage or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can enroll in these programs at any time of the year.