Open enrollment only comes around once a year. If you missed it, you may still have options. Certain life changes open a special enrollment period, a short window when you can sign up for a Marketplace plan or switch plans outside the normal season.
Life events that can open a window
The most common qualifying events are:
- Losing other health coverage. For example, leaving a job with benefits to go independent, aging off a parent’s plan at 26, COBRA running out, or losing Medicaid or CHIP.
- Getting married.
- Having a baby, adopting a child or placing a child in foster care.
- Moving to a new ZIP code or county, as long as you had qualifying coverage before the move.
- Other changes like becoming a U.S. citizen or being released from incarceration.
That first one comes up a lot for new 1099 workers. If you’re leaving a W-2 job to drive, freelance or start a business, losing your employer coverage usually qualifies you to sign up for your own plan.
Why timing matters
Special enrollment windows are short. In most cases you have 60 days from the event to pick a plan. If you’re losing Medicaid or CHIP, you generally get 90 days. Wait too long and the window closes, which can leave you uninsured until the next open enrollment.
If you know a change is coming, like leaving a job, you can often apply ahead of time so there’s no gap in coverage.
What’s changed
Until recently, people with lower incomes could sign up any month of the year. That monthly option has been eliminated, so for most people the choices are now open enrollment or a qualifying life event.
You may also be asked for documents that prove your event, especially if you’re losing other coverage. Keep things like a letter from your former employer or insurer showing when coverage ends.
What to do next
If something in your life changed in the last couple of months, don’t assume you’re stuck. A licensed advisor can check whether your situation qualifies, tell you exactly how long you have and help you enroll before the window closes.
Rules current as of September 2026 and may change. Your advisor can confirm what applies in your state.
