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 occurs once a year — typically in the fall — when you can sign up for health insurance, adjust your current plan, or cancel it. It is 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 the open enrollment dates you need 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 to Make the Most of Open Enrollment
Before choosing a health insurance plan, you may want to think about the following:
• How much did you spend on healthcare last year (what was your premium, your deductible, and your out-of-pocket costs)?
• Did the amount spent by you/your family meet your healthcare needs?
• Is your doctor/clinic in the network?
• Are your medications covered?
Can I Make Changes Outside of Open Enrollment? What is a Qualifying Life Event?
Typically, once you have made your benefit elections, you have to wait to make changes until the next open enrollment period. However, this is not always the case. You may have heard the term qualifying life events. These are life events that allow you to 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
• Gaining U.S. citizenship
• Turning 26
• Turning 65
• Experiencing a change in employment status
• Losing health insurance
What if I Missed the Open Enrollment Deadline?
If you need coverage during a time when the annual open enrollment is not available and you have not experienced a Qualifying Life Event, you can purchase short-term health insurance. Short-term health insurance can meet healthcare needs for short periods of time.
Source: United Health Care