By Qamar S, 15 years in US medical billing · Last reviewed September 28, 2026
A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) lets you sign up for Marketplace health insurance outside Open Enrollment if you have a qualifying life event, such as losing other coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby. In most cases you have 60 days after the event to pick a plan. Without a qualifying event, you have to wait for Open Enrollment, November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
2027 change: the year-round special enrollment period for people with low incomes (up to 150% of the poverty level) has been permanently eliminated. If your income is low, enroll during Open Enrollment or when you have a qualifying life event.
Qualifying life events
| Event | Examples | When you can enroll |
|---|---|---|
| Losing health coverage | Job-based plan ends, aging off a parent’s plan at 26, losing Medicaid or CHIP, COBRA ending | Up to 60 days before and 60 days after the loss |
| Changes in household | Marriage, birth, adoption, divorce with loss of coverage, death in the family | 60 days after the event |
| Moving | To a new ZIP code or state with different plans (you usually need prior coverage) | 60 days after the move |
| Other | Becoming a U.S. citizen, leaving jail or prison, AmeriCorps service ending | 60 days after the event |
| Employer plan changes | Your job coverage becomes unaffordable or stops meeting minimum value | 60 days after you learn of it |
Losing coverage doesn’t count if you quit it voluntarily, stop paying premiums, or were dropped for fraud.
How to use a Special Enrollment Period
- Act quickly. Mark the date of the event and count 60 days.
- Apply on HealthCare.gov (or your state’s marketplace) and answer the life-event questions.
- Be ready to prove it. You may be asked for documents, such as a letter from your old insurer or employer showing when coverage ended, a marriage certificate or a new lease.
- Pick a plan. Coverage usually starts the first of the month after you pick a plan. For a birth or adoption it can start on the date of the event.
Medicaid and CHIP: any time
You can apply for Medicaid or CHIP at any time of year. There’s no enrollment period. If your income is low, check your state’s Medicaid rules before buying a Marketplace plan.
Some states offer more
A few states have year-round low-cost programs, including Minnesota, Oregon and Washington, D.C. (Basic Health Programs), Massachusetts (ConnectorCare) and Connecticut (Covered Connecticut). Check your state’s marketplace.
From 15 years in billing: if you had a gap between your old coverage ending and your new plan starting, bills from that gap will not be covered. Ask your old employer or insurer for the exact end date in writing, and time your new plan to start the next day.
Sources: HealthCare.gov: Special Enrollment Period · healthinsurance.org: What happened to the low-income SEP · CMS: Special Enrollment Periods job aid
This guide is educational and is not legal, financial or insurance advice. See our Disclaimer.