If you recently retired and aren’t eligible for Medicare yet, you may be able to get health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace®.
While retiring from a job alone doesn’t qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period, losing health insurance does. If you lost health insurance when you retired, you have 60 days to enroll in a health plan outside Open Enrollment.
When you lose job-based insurance you may be offered COBRA continuation coverage.
If you have retiree health insurance but want to buy a Marketplace plan instead, you can. But you won’t be able to get premium tax credits and other savings in the Marketplace. If you voluntarily drop your retiree health coverage, you don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Note: Losing health coverage isn’t the only life event that qualifies you to enroll in a plan outside the Open Enrollment Period. You may also be eligible if you’ve had other life changes — like getting married, moving, or adopting a child.