How to apply & enroll

Premium payments, grace periods & termination

If you miss a monthly premium payment

• A Marketplace plan and qualify for a 
  premium tax credit

  A tax credit you can take in advance to lower your monthly health insurance payment (or “premium”). When you apply for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace®, you estimate your expected income for the year. If you qualify for a premium tax credit based on your estimate, you can use any amount of the credit in advance to lower your premium.

  Refer to glossary for more details.

  .
• Already paid at least one full month's premium during the
  benefit year

  A year of benefits coverage under an individual health insurance plan. The benefit year for plans bought inside or outside the Marketplace begins January 1 of each year and ends December 31 of the same year. Your coverage ends December 31 even if your coverage started after January 1. Any changes to benefits or rates to a health insurance plan are made at the beginning of the calendar year.

  Refer to glossary for more details.

  .

If you reach the end of your grace period

• You don't make your premium payment for May.
• You submit premium payments on time for June and July, but still haven’t paid for May.
• Your grace period ends July 31.
• If you haven't paid your May premium by July 31, you lose coverage dating back to the last day of May.

If your plan ends your coverage due to non-payment

• Have the right to appeal your health insurance company’s decision.
• You don't qualify for a
  Special Enrollment Period

  A time outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period when you can sign up for health insurance. You qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you’ve had certain life events, including losing health coverage, moving, getting married, having a baby, or adopting a child, or if your household income is below a certain amount.

  Refer to glossary for more details.

  to enroll in another plan if the plan ends your coverage for non-payment. You'll have to wait for the next Open Enrollment Period to reapply for Marketplace coverage unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period for another reason.
• If you lose your coverage before mid-December of that year, you're not eligible to be automatically re-enrolled for the following year.
• You may be able to enroll in the same plan later if it's still available (and you're still eligible to enroll in a Marketplace plan when you reapply).
• Whether you choose a new plan or the plan you had before you lost coverage, you must pay your first month's premium to the insurance company to complete your enrollment.