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When is open enrollment, and what is a special enrollment period?

Last reviewed October 28, 2026 · 8 min read

Quick answer: The annual open enrollment period runs from November 1 through January 15 each year, allowing anyone to sign up for or change their Marketplace health plan. A special enrollment period is an enrollment window outside open enrollment triggered by specific life events, such as losing health coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby. Most special enrollment opportunities last 60 days from the date of the qualifying event.

Understanding health insurance deadlines is critical because missing them can leave you without health coverage for months. Health plans limit when you can sign up to keep insurance markets stable and prevent people from waiting until they are sick to enroll. Knowing the rules for open enrollment and special enrollment periods ensures you get covered when you need protection.

When is the open enrollment period for health insurance?

Open enrollment is the annual timeframe when you can enroll in, renew, or change an individual health plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. The Open Enrollment Period runs every year from November 1 through January 15.

The exact date your coverage begins depends on when you complete your enrollment and pay your first premium. If you enroll or change your plan between November 1 and December 15, your new coverage can start as soon as January 1. If you enroll between December 16 and January 15, your coverage starts on February 1.

You can buy a plan through your state Exchange—such as HealthCare.gov or state-based exchanges like Washington Healthplanfinder—or directly through an insurance agent or broker outside the Exchange. Once January 15 passes, the open enrollment window closes for the year, and you cannot enroll in a standard Marketplace plan unless you qualify for an exception.

What is a special enrollment period and how does it work?

A Special Enrollment Period is a specific timeframe outside of open enrollment when you can enroll in or change Marketplace health plans due to certain life changes. These periods generally span the calendar from January 16 through October 31.

In most situations, a special enrollment window lasts for 60 days following the qualifying event. For many events, such as an upcoming loss of health coverage, you can also apply up to 60 days before the event occurs. If you lost Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage, your special enrollment window may extend to 90 days after the loss.

Coverage start dates under a special enrollment period depend on the type of event and the date you enroll. For example, if you gain coverage due to marriage, choosing a plan by the last day of the month allows coverage to start on the first day of the following month. If you welcome a new child, coverage can backdate to the day of the birth or adoption.

Which life changes qualify you for a special enrollment period?

Marketplace rules grant special enrollment opportunities only for specific, documented life changes. These events generally fall into major categories involving your household, your home, or your legal status.

Household changes that qualify you include:

Marriage or domestic partnership: Getting married qualifies you, and state exchanges like Washington also recognize domestic partnerships.
Birth or adoption: Having a baby, adopting a child, or placing a child for foster care qualifies you, and your coverage can start the day of the event even if you enroll up to 60 days later.
Divorce or legal separation: You qualify only if the divorce or separation causes you to lose existing health insurance. Divorce without losing coverage does not count.
Death: You qualify if someone on your Marketplace plan dies and their death causes you to lose your current coverage.

Changes in your residence can also qualify you for a new plan, provided you make a permanent move. Qualifying moves include moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county, moving to the United States from a foreign country or U.S. territory, or moving to or from school if you are a student. Seasonal workers moving to or from their work site and individuals moving to or from transitional shelters also qualify. However, moving solely for medical care or taking a vacation does not qualify you for a special enrollment window.

Other unique situations qualify under federal and state rules. These include gaining citizenship, gaining status as an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act shareholder or member of a federally recognized tribe, leaving incarceration, or starting or ending AmeriCorps service. Surviving an unexpected natural disaster, such as a hurricane or flood, can also qualify you for emergency relief.

How does losing health coverage trigger a special enrollment period?

Losing qualifying health insurance is one of the most common reasons people access a special enrollment period. You qualify if you lost coverage in the past 60 days or expect to lose coverage in the coming 60 days.

Qualifying coverage losses include:

Job-based plans: Losing health insurance through your employer, a family member’s employer, or aging off a parent’s plan at age 26 (or the state dependent limit).
Individual plans: Having your individual or Marketplace health plan discontinued, losing eligibility for a student health plan, or moving out of your plan’s service area.
Mid-year plan ends: Reaching the end of an individual or group plan year that finishes in the middle of the calendar year, if you choose not to renew it.
Medicaid or CHIP changes: Losing eligibility for Medicaid (such as Apple Health in Washington) or CHIP due to an income increase, or a child aging out of the program.
Medicare Part A: Losing premium-free Medicare Part A, which is federal hospital insurance for individuals 65 and older or those with disabilities.

Loss of coverage through COBRA also counts under specific rules. COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, lets you temporarily continue employer-sponsored group health insurance after job loss or reduced work hours. You qualify for a special enrollment window when your COBRA expires after its full term or if your former employer stops providing coverage or fails to pay your premium on time.

Employer financial help can also trigger an enrollment window. If your employer offers you an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) or a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) in the past 60 days or upcoming 60 days, you qualify. Because online systems cannot process HRA offers directly, you must call the Marketplace Call Center to complete that enrollment.

Comparing open enrollment and special enrollment periods

While both enrollment windows give you access to standard individual health coverage, they operate under very different rules, schedules, and verification requirements.

Feature	Open Enrollment Period	Special Enrollment Period
Standard Dates	November 1 through January 15 each year.	Between January 16 and October 31 (year-round as events occur).
Who Can Enroll	Anyone seeking individual or family coverage.	Only individuals who experience a qualifying life event.
Enrollment Window	Fixed annual window (roughly 10 weeks).	Usually 60 days after (and up to 60 days before) the event.
Documentation	Standard application details only.	Proof of the qualifying event (e.g., loss of coverage notice).
Coverage Start	January 1 or February 1.	First of the next month, event date, or based on application timing.

What documents do you need, and what happens if you are denied?

When you apply for a special enrollment period, you must formally attest that the information on your application is true. In many cases, the Marketplace requires you to send supporting documents to confirm your qualifying life event before your coverage takes effect.

If you qualify due to losing job-based insurance, you may need a letter from your employer or plan administrator stating the date your coverage ended. If you moved, you may need to show proof of your new address. Failing to provide acceptable documents within the required deadline will cause the Marketplace to cancel your special enrollment period.

If the Marketplace turns down your request for a special enrollment period but you believe you qualify, you have the right to appeal the decision. You can submit an appeal through the Marketplace to have your eligibility re-evaluated. If you are denied because you are ineligible for Marketplace savings, you can apply for Medicaid or CHIP at any time of the year without waiting for an enrollment window.

Key takeaways

The annual open enrollment period runs from November 1 to January 15 each year for standard individual health plans.
Special enrollment periods allow you to buy coverage outside open enrollment if you have a qualifying life change, such as moving, marrying, having a baby, or losing health benefits.
Most special enrollment periods grant a 60-day window to select and enroll in a plan.
Voluntarily canceling your plan or failing to pay premiums does not qualify you for a special enrollment period.
Medicaid and CHIP applications are accepted year-round regardless of standard enrollment dates.

Common mistakes to avoid

Voluntarily dropping coverage: Canceling your insurance voluntarily or stopping premium payments does not qualify you for a special enrollment period, leaving you completely uninsured until the next open enrollment.
Dropping COBRA early: Voluntarily abandoning COBRA coverage before it expires or stops automatically does not grant a special enrollment period; you must wait until it naturally exhausts unless you lose it involuntarily.
Missing the 60-day deadline: Waiting more than 60 days after a life event locks you out of coverage, forcing you to wait until November 1 to sign up.
Assuming divorce automatically qualifies: Getting divorced or legally separated only qualifies you if you actually lose your health insurance as a direct result.
Ignoring document requests: Failing to submit required paperwork proving your life change within the designated timeframe will result in your enrollment being denied or terminated.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sign up for Medicaid or CHIP outside of open enrollment?

Yes. You can apply for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) at any time during the year.

What happens if you miss open enrollment and do not qualify for a special enrollment period?

If you miss open enrollment and do not qualify for a special enrollment period or Medicaid, you must wait until the next open enrollment period begins to enroll in a health plan.

Does moving just for vacation or medical care qualify you for a special enrollment period?

No. Moving temporarily for medical treatment or staying somewhere for vacation does not qualify you for a special enrollment period.

How long do you have to enroll after a qualifying life event occurs?

In most cases, a special enrollment period gives you 60 days after the qualifying event to enroll, and you can often apply up to 60 days before an anticipated loss of coverage.