How to apply & enroll
More info
- Get ready to apply for health coverage
- Ways to apply for health insurance
- Preview health insurance plans & prices
- Get help applying for health insurance
- How to apply if your income is too high for tax credits
- Complete your enrollment & pay your first premium
- Changing plans after you’re enrolled
- Premium payments, grace periods & termination
Premium payments, grace periods & termination
It’s important to pay your monthly health insurance premium in full to your insurance company — not the Marketplace — by the due date.
If you miss a monthly premium payment
Your health insurance company could end your coverage if you fall behind on your monthly premiums.
Before your insurance company can end your coverage, you have a short period of time to pay called a
.
The premium payment grace period is usually 3 months — if you have both:
- A Marketplace plan and qualify for a .
- Already paid at least one full month's premium during the .
If you reach the end of your grace period
Pay all your owed premiums to avoid losing your coverage. If you don't pay all your owed premiums by the end of your grace period, you may lose your coverage and could go months without it until your next opportunity to enroll.
The 3-month premium payment grace period starts the first month you fail to pay, even if you make payments for the following months. For example:
- 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
If you think there was a mistake, you:
- Have the right to appeal your health insurance company’s decision.
- You don't qualify for a 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.