If you get health insurance through your job, through Medicare, or through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, you will have an open enrollment period.
An open enrollment period is a window of time that happens once a year — typically in the fall — when you can sign up for health insurance, adjust your current plan or cancel your plan. It’s usually limited to a few weeks. If you miss it, you may have to wait until the next open enrollment period to make any changes.
What are open enrollment dates to know?
• Individual & Family ACA Marketplace plans: Open enrollment is November 1 through January 16, in most states
• Health insurance through work: Enrollment periods are set by your employer (typically in fall)
• Medicare: Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is October 15 to December 7 every year. Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is around age 65
• Medicaid: Enroll anytime
• Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (DSNP): Enroll anytime
Tips on making the most of open enrollment
Before you choose a health insurance plan, you may want to think about the following:
• How much did you spend on health care last year (what was your premium, your deductible and your out-of-pocket costs)?
• Did the amount you/your family spent line up with your health care needs?
• Is your doctor/clinic in network?
• Are your medications covered?
Can I make changes outside of the open enrollment period? What is a qualifying life event?
Typically, once you’ve made your benefit elections, you have to wait to make changes until the next open enrollment period. Not always, though. You may have heard the term, qualifying life events. These are life events that let you make changes to your benefits outside of the open enrollment period.
What is a qualifying life event for health insurance?
A qualifying life event is a life-changing situation — sometimes planned, sometimes unexpected — that can impact you and your health insurance. Experiencing a significant life change may allow you to change your health plan outside of the annual enrollment period.
Qualifying life events include (but are not necessarily limited to):
• Getting married
• Getting divorced
• Having or adopting a baby
• Death of someone who shares your health plan
• Moving to a new area
• Earning U.S. citizenship
• Turning 26
• Turning 65
• Experiencing a shift in employment status
• Loss of health insurance
What if I missed the deadline for open enrollment?
If you need coverage during a time when annual open enrollment isn’t available and you have not experienced a Qualifying Life Event, you can buy short term health insurance. Short term health insurance can fill health care needs for short amounts of time.
Source: United Health Care