Open enrollment periods and situations that qualify for a Special Enrollment Period

In the U.S., you cannot enroll in health plans whenever you want. As a rule, you enroll in Marketplace and employer plans once a year during the "open enrollment" period. Outside this period, you can get a plan only if an event such as marriage, birth, moving, or losing insurance gives you a "Special Enrollment Period" (SEP). On this page, you will find the dates for 2027, situations that qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, deadlines, required documents, and how to appeal.

• November 1, 2026: Open enrollment begins. You can select, renew, or change a plan for 2027.
• December 15, 2026: The deadline for coverage to begin on January 1, 2027.
• January 1, 2027: Coverage begins for people who selected a plan and paid their first premium by December 15.
• January 15, 2027: Open enrollment ends. After this date, you can get or change a plan only if you have a Special Enrollment Period.
• February 1, 2027: Coverage begins for people who selected a plan between December 16 and January 15 and paid their first premium.
• Between January 16 and October 31, plans are available only through a Special Enrollment Period.

• New Jersey (Get Covered New Jersey): The open enrollment period runs from November 1 through January 31.
• Massachusetts (Health Connector): Open enrollment for 2027 plans begins on October 23.
• California (Covered California): Open enrollment begins on November 1.
• Other states may also use their own websites. Check your state's dates on its own marketplace website.

• Employer plans: Your employer has an annual open enrollment period; your employer sets the dates. Ask human resources.
• Medicaid and CHIP: You can apply during any month of the year; there is no open enrollment period. Details: 16.3 Medicaid and CHIP.
• Medicare: Open enrollment for Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans is every year from October 15 to December 7; it is currently open for 2027 plans. For initial enrollment and late enrollment penalties, see 17.6 Medicare.

General rule: You must choose a plan within 60 days after the event. If you are losing insurance, you can also choose a plan within the 60 days before the event.

• Changes in your household:
  • getting married: if you choose a plan by the last day of the month, coverage starts on the first day of the following month
  • birth, adoption, or placement in foster care: coverage begins on the date of the event even if you enroll within 60 days
  • divorce or legal separation and losing insurance because of it
  • losing your insurance because a family member on the plan dies
  • gaining a dependent through a court order or becoming someone's dependent
• Moving:
  • moving to the U.S. from another country
  • moving to a different ZIP code or county
  • if you are a student, moving to or from the location where your school is located
  • moving only for medical treatment or vacation does not qualify
• Loss of insurance: an employer plan or COBRA ending, an individual plan being discontinued, losing eligibility for a student plan, turning 26 and leaving a parent's plan, or losing premium-free Medicare Part A.
  • The period is 90 days if you lose Medicaid or CHIP.
• Change in status:
  • gaining a new and eligible immigration status
  • becoming a U.S. citizen
  • being released from incarceration
• Other situations:
  • an offer of ICHRA or QSEHRA from an employer
  • the open enrollment period has ended while you applied for Medicaid but your state determined that you were not eligible
  • becoming eligible for premium savings because your income increased or you moved within the last 60 days, after being unable to receive savings because your income was too low in a state that has not expanded Medicaid
  • domestic violence or abandonment by a spouse
  • missing enrollment because of a natural disaster, serious illness, or an error by an official assister
  • the outcome of your appeal to the Marketplace being in your favor

• After you apply, your Eligibility Notice will say whether documents are required. If they are not required, you only need to select a plan.
• Select a plan first; submit the documents within 30 days after selecting the plan.
• If you lost insurance, the document must show the date coverage ended.
• You cannot use coverage until the documents are approved and the first premium is paid. If approval is delayed, you may pay premiums for previous months and obtain coverage effective from those dates.
• Ways to submit:
  • The fastest way is to upload them through your HealthCare.gov account. Accepted formats: .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .tiff, .bmp, .xml; the file may be no larger than 10 MB. The file name must not contain symbols such as / \ : * ? " |.
  • By mail, send photocopies only; do not send original documents. Address: Health Insurance Marketplace, Attn: Supporting Documentation, 465 Industrial Blvd., London, KY 40750-0001.
• If you do not have an eligible document, you can submit a "letter of explanation."
• The result usually arrives in your account by letter within a few weeks.

• You have a Special Enrollment Period in an employer plan when you get married, have a child, adopt a child, or lose other insurance.
• You must request enrollment in the employer plan within 30 days after the event. The plan may require this notice in writing.
• Coverage for a child born or adopted begins on the date of birth or adoption.
• If you choose the Marketplace for the same events, the period is 60 days.

1. Note the date of the event: marriage, birth, moving, the day insurance ended, or the date of your status decision.
2. Use HealthCare.gov's screening tool to check whether you have a Special Enrollment Period.
3. Complete your application or update your existing application. Report the event with the correct date.
4. Choose a plan before 60 days pass (90 days in the case of Medicaid/CHIP loss).
5. If requested, upload documents within 30 days.
6. Pay the first premium to the insurance company.
7. If your eligibility is denied, appeal. If the appeal is decided in your favor, coverage may be effective from the denial date.

• HealthCare.gov Marketplace Call Center — Special Enrollment Period and document questions
  • Phone: +1 800 318 2596 (TTY: +1 855 889 4325)
  • Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except holidays)
• Marketplace Appeals Center — appeals of Special Enrollment Period denials
  • Phone: +1 855 231 1751 (TTY: 711)
  • Hours: Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m. (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Document mailing address: Health Insurance Marketplace, Attn: Supporting Documentation, 465 Industrial Blvd., London, KY 40750-0001
• U.S. Department of Labor EBSA — Special Enrollment Period in an employer plan
  • Phone: +1 866 444 3272

• Arriving in the U.S. and missing the 60-day deadline, then having to wait for the next open enrollment period.
• Failing to update a change in status in the application after receiving a green card or citizenship decision.
• Trying to submit documents before selecting a plan or missing the 30-day deadline.
• Sending original documents by mail.
• Failing to add a baby to the plan within 60 days after birth.
• Confusing the 30-day deadline for an employer plan with the Marketplace's 60-day period.
• Following HealthCare.gov dates when the state has its own marketplace.

• I just moved from Turkey. Do I have to wait for open enrollment? No. Moving to the U.S. from another country qualifies for a Special Enrollment Period. Choose a plan within 60 days after moving.
• My baby was born, but I noticed it a month later. Is it too late? If you enroll within 60 days after the birth, coverage begins on the date of birth.
• I got married. When does coverage begin? If you choose a plan by the last day of the month, coverage begins on the first day of the following month.
• My Medicaid was terminated. How much time do I have? You have 90 days to choose a Marketplace plan after losing Medicaid or CHIP.
• I received a green card. Is this a new enrollment opportunity? Gaining a new and eligible immigration status may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. Report your situation in the application or call the call center.
• My Special Enrollment Period was denied. What can I do? You can appeal to the Marketplace. If your appeal is approved, coverage may be effective from the denial date.

• HealthCare.gov – Special Enrollment Period screening tool
• HealthCare.gov – Steps for uploading documents (PDF)
• HealthCare.gov – Letter of explanation form (PDF)
• HealthCare.gov – Application checklist (PDF)
• U.S. Department of Labor – Life changes and health choices (PDF)
• HealthCare.gov – Marketplace appeals guide