Can I purchase health insurance outside of the open enrollment period?

What do you do when Open Enrollment has already come and gone and you need health insurance?

Depending on your circumstances, there are many life events that may qualify you for Special Enrollment.  How is Special Enrollment different from Open Enrollment? Open Enrollment is a designated time during which individuals can purchase a health insurance policy. Special Enrollment allows individuals to purchase health insurance outside of the mandated time period, pending they meet one or more of the criteria listed below.

Whether you’re purchasing health insurance during open enrollment in Gainesville, or purchasing health insurance in Gainesville outside of Open Enrollment, the internet is not your only option. For advice and guidance, we recommend you seek out an insurance agency specialized in health insurance coverage.

Life events that may qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period include:

• Getting married
• Having a baby or adopting a child
• Placing a child for adoption or foster care
• Permanently moving outside of your plan’s coverage area
• Losing health insurance for reasons such as the following:
  • Aging off of a parent’s plan
  • Losing coverage as a result of divorce
  • Losing employment based coverage for reasons including: resigning, being laid or getting fired
  • COBRA coverage ending (Please note, this does not include cancelling your COBRA coverage yourself before it expires.)
  • Losing eligibility for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program(CHIP)

• Gaining citizenship or lawful presence in the United States
• Leaving incarceration
• For individuals who are already enrolled for health insurance through the Marketplace coverage, a change in income or household status affecting eligibility premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions may qualify you for Special Enrollment.

Please keep in mind as legislation continues to change the health insurance programs through the Marketplace, this information is also subject to change.

This information is current as of April 15, 2015 and has been obtained through the healthcare.gov website.

Have questions about your coverage or if you qualify for a Marketplace plan? Feel free to comment below, email us (info@mcgriffwilliams.com) or call to speak with one of our agents, (352)371-7977.