Buying Individual Health Insurance between 2/1/2016 – 12/31/2016

If you are looking to change your existing policy or to buy a new one you have to have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) between February 1, – December 31, 2016.

What is a Special Enrollment Period (SEP)?

1. Your personal circumstances change, including:
• Marriage
• Birth of a child
• Adoption or placement of child for adoption or foster care
• Gaining citizenship
• Moving residence outside your insurance plan’s service area
• Leaving incarceration

2. You experience an involuntary coverage change, which may include:
• Losing health coverage due to situations such as job-based coverage ending, aging off a parent’s plan at 26, losing coverage through divorce or similar events. However, voluntarily giving up coverage, or losing coverage that is not minimum essential coverage, will NOT qualify you for special enrollment
• Losing eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP
• Becoming eligible for COBRA or having COBRA coverage expire (voluntarily dropping COBRA coverage is not a qualifying life event)

3. You gain status as a member of an American Indian tribe—members of federally recognized American Indian tribes can sign up for or change plans once a month throughout the year.

4. For individuals already enrolled in Marketplace coverage, a change in income or household status that affects eligibility for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions can make you eligible to elect a change in coverage.

To find out of you qualify for an SEP, give us a call at (520) 721-4848.