Special Enrollment Period: How to Qualify and Enroll Now
Updated March 2026 • By Open Enrollment Health
Think you missed your chance to get health insurance? Open enrollment runs November through January, but there's a backdoor: the Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
If you've experienced a qualifying life event in the last 60 days, you can enroll in an ACA marketplace plan right now. Here's every event that qualifies.
Qualifying Life Events (Complete List)
Loss of Coverage
- Lost job-based insurance (fired, laid off, quit, hours reduced)
- Turned 26 and aged off parents' plan
- Lost Medicaid or CHIP eligibility
- Lost coverage through a spouse (divorce, spouse's job change)
- COBRA coverage expired
- Student health plan ended (graduated or dropped out)
- Lost coverage due to death of policyholder
Note: Voluntarily canceling your plan does NOT qualify. The loss must be involuntary.
Life Changes
- Got married
- Got divorced or legally separated
- Had a baby or adopted a child
- Death of a household member
- Became a U.S. citizen or gained lawful presence
- Left incarceration
- Gained membership in a federally recognized tribe
Moved
- Moved to a new state
- Moved to a new county (even within the same state)
- Moved to the U.S. from another country
- A student moving to/from school may qualify
Important: You must have had qualifying coverage before the move (or be moving to a state where new plans are available).
Income Changes
- Income dropped below 150% FPL (may newly qualify for Medicaid)
- Income increased above Medicaid limits (qualifies for marketplace)
- Lost eligibility for employer coverage because it became "unaffordable" (costs more than ~8.5% of income)
Other Qualifying Events
- Your current plan was decertified or discontinued
- You were affected by a natural disaster or emergency declared by the government
- You experienced domestic abuse or spousal abandonment
- Your marketplace application had an error that was corrected
The 60-Day Rule
For most qualifying events, you have 60 days from the event to enroll. Some events (like losing Medicaid) give you 60 days before or after. Don't wait — the clock starts ticking on the day of the event.
| Event Type | Enrollment Window |
|---|
| Loss of coverage | 60 days before or after loss date |
| Marriage | 60 days after marriage date |
| Birth/adoption | 60 days after birth/adoption date |
| Move | 60 days after move date |
| Income change | 60 days after change |
What You Need to Enroll
- Social Security numbers for everyone enrolling
- Proof of qualifying event (termination letter, marriage certificate, lease showing new address, etc.)
- Estimated annual household income
- Current employer info (if applicable)
What If You Don't Have a Qualifying Event?
If none of the above apply, you have two options:
- Wait for open enrollment (November – January)
- Get a limited medical plan — these have no enrollment windows. You can sign up any day of the year. It's not full ACA coverage, but it covers doctor visits, some hospital costs, and gives you basic protection until you can enroll in a marketplace plan.
You can also add supplemental coverage (accident, critical illness) at any time for extra protection.
Not Sure If You Qualify? Ask Us.
Qualifying events can be tricky — sometimes things you wouldn't expect count as a qualifying event. We've helped people discover they qualified when they thought they didn't.
One phone call, we'll figure it out together. Free, no obligation.
Check your eligibility → or call (239) 688-3707