Open Enrollment
Open enrollment is the one time during the year when you can enroll in any health insurance plan without having to worry about being refused.
Open enrollment for individual health insurance plans purchased through HealthCare.Gov runs from November 1st through January 15th.
♦ Each year, a number of states have extended open enrollment to give their residents more time to sign up.
In some cases, extensions have been due to a natural disaster such as a hurricane or an earthquake.
States which run their own exchanges have the most leeway in setting up enrollment dates, with some extending enrollment to the end of January.
♦ Outside the Open Enrollment Period, you generally can enroll in a health insurance plan only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
You’re eligible if you have certain life events, like getting married, having a baby, or losing other health coverage.
• Job-based plans may have different Open Enrollment Periods. Check with your employer.
• You can apply and enroll in Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) any time of year.
♦ Open enrollment for Medicare follows a different schedule. It runs from October 15th through December 7th.
Related content
• Marketplace Open Enrollment
• Medicare Open Enrollment
• Employer-based Open Enrollment
