Guides ยท Last reviewed October 28, 2026
Special Enrollment Period: how to get Marketplace coverage after a life event
Open Enrollment runs November 1 to January 15. Outside it, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. After losing coverage, you generally have 60 days.
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Events that can qualify (per HealthCare.gov)
- Household changes: marriage, having or adopting a child or placing a child in foster care, divorce or legal separation that causes loss of insurance, or death of a plan member.
- Moving: to a new ZIP code or county, or to the U.S. from abroad or a U.S. territory. Moves only for medical treatment or vacation don't qualify.
- Losing coverage: job-based coverage (including COBRA), individual coverage, Medicaid or CHIP (or being denied them), losing premium-free Medicare Part A, family-member coverage, or an employer HRA or QSEHRA offer.
- Other: gaining tribal membership, becoming a U.S. citizen, leaving incarceration, starting or ending AmeriCorps, VISTA, or NCCC service, or an unexpected natural disaster.
Timeframes
- Loss of coverage: generally 60 days after you lose it. Losing Medicaid or CHIP within the past 90 days may also qualify.
- Before you lose coverage: you may qualify if you expect to lose coverage in the next 60 days.
- Marriage: pick a plan by the last day of the month, and coverage starts the first of the next month.
- Birth, adoption, or foster placement: coverage can start on the day of the event, and you can enroll up to 60 days afterward.
- COBRA: you have 60 days to enroll in a Marketplace plan after COBRA ends involuntarily or is no longer available. Voluntarily dropping COBRA doesn't qualify.
Paperwork
You attest that your application information is true, including your qualifying event. You may have to submit documents confirming your loss of coverage, and without acceptable documents you won't qualify. Keep your termination letter or similar notice.
Why it matters for medical bills
Care you receive while uninsured is billed at full price. If you're in a gap, see hospital financial assistance and Good Faith Estimates for self-pay care. Leaving a job? Compare this with COBRA. If you might qualify for Medicaid, see Medicaid retroactive coverage.
Common questions
How long do I have to enroll after losing coverage?
HealthCare.gov says you generally have 60 days after losing coverage.
Can I enroll before my coverage ends?
Possibly. HealthCare.gov says you may qualify if you expect to lose coverage in the next 60 days.
Does dropping COBRA on my own open a Special Enrollment Period?
No. HealthCare.gov says voluntarily dropping COBRA doesn't qualify, but losing it involuntarily or when it is no longer available does.
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Sources
Check HealthCare.gov or your state Marketplace for the rules that apply to you. Billmira is a self-help information tool, not a law firm, and this isn't legal, tax, or medical advice. Rules change and plans differ; check the official sources above and your own documents.