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Recently lose health coverage? Enroll in Marketplace coverage today

Published on June 21, 2018

You may qualify for a
Special Enrollment Period
if you or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days (or expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days). This means you may be able to enroll in Marketplace health insurance for the rest of 2018.
Image: {Woman frustrated over lost health insurance}

Coverage losses that make you eligible

If you lost or will lose coverage from any of these sources, you may be eligible to apply through a Special Enrollment Period:
  • Your job
  • Individual health coverage for a plan or policy you bought yourself
  • COBRA
  • Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
  • Medicare
  • Coverage through a family member’s plan
Note: If you voluntarily dropped your coverage, you won’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

How to apply with a Special Enrollment Period

Pick a plan and then submit documents to the Marketplace showing the lost coverage and the date it ends. You have 60 days after the date your coverage ended to pick a plan (or 60 days before the date your coverage will end if you’ll lose coverage in the future). You must submit your documents within 30 days of picking a plan.
  • If you’re new to HealthCare.gov, create an account to fill out an application, pick a plan, and submit your documents.
  • If you already have an account, log in to update your existing application, pick a plan, and submit documents.

Get more information on Special Enrollment Periods

  • Losing health insurance isn’t the only
    life event
    that qualifies you to enroll in or change plans outside Open Enrollment.
  • See the full list of life changes that can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period.
  • You can also answer a few fast questions to find out if you may be eligible.
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