Health Insurance Special Enrollment Periods in Colorado

How to Get Health Benefits Outside of Open Enrollment

Most people are only allowed to sign up for health insurance during Colorado’s Open Enrollment, from November 1 to mid-January. Because there are specific guidelines regarding health insurance enrollment, it’s important to know all of your options inside and outside the open enrollment period.

Know Your Options Outside of Open Enrollment

Outside open enrollment, there are very limited options for getting health insurance. However, if you’ve experienced a qualifying life event, you’re in luck– the ACA allows for a special enrollment period. Here are examples of qualifying life events:

Getting Married

After tying the knot, you’ll have a 60-day open enrollment window beginning on your wedding day where you can change your health plan. Even if you already have coverage, you may want to switch to a family plan with expenses going to a single family deductible.

Having a Baby

As soon as your baby is born, you can add the child to your policy or sign up for a new policy. You have 60 days to add the child’s coverage, and the effective date will automatically be set to the date of birth. Maternity care and childbirth services provided before and after your baby is born are 100% covered under the new law since these are considered essential benefits.

This also applies when you add another dependent through adoption or gaining custody of a child. However, in this case, new regulations give parents the option to choose a later effective date.

Involuntary Loss of Coverage

If you lose your health insurance because you got laid off from your job or because of divorce, you’ll have 60 days after your coverage ends to get a new plan. Note that failing to pay the premiums or canceling your health insurance plan does not make you eligible for a special enrollment period.

Permanently Moving to Another Demographic Location

If you permanently move to another area, you qualify for a special enrollment period. This is because each state offers different qualified health plans. However, you must have minimum essential coverage for at least one of the 60 days prior to your move in order to qualify. In most cases minimum essential coverage means a plan that complies with the Affordable Care Act.The only exception to this rule is for individuals living outside the United States or a United States territory prior to their move.

Newly-Gained American Citizenship

 

Note that this qualifying life event is only available on the health insurance marketplace. Carriers selling coverage off-exchange are not required to provide special enrollment periods for this instance.

Enrollment Errors or Misconduct by a Marketplace Broker/Assister

 

If you weren’t able to get coverage in place on time because of errors or delays caused by the insurance broker who assisted you, or the health insurance marketplace, you qualify for another opportunity to apply.

Income Changes

Becoming ineligible or newly eligible for advanced premium tax credits and cost sharing also qualifies you for a special enrollment period.

 

How Does A Special Enrollment Period Work?

If you experience a qualifying life event, you usually have 60 days from the actual life event date to seek other health coverage. A qualifying event including marriage, loss of a job, or the birth of a child may also change your eligibility status for a premium subsidy.

If you’ve received advance notice that you’ll be losing your health coverage, some SEPs begin 30 days before your anticipated policy termination date and extend 30 days after the policy termination date. Our ColoHealth Personal Benefits Managers will be glad to help you determine how long you have during your SEP to ensure that you have a policy before your SEP ends.

ColoHealth Personal Benefits Managers can assist you in comparing your health plan options and determine if you qualify for a premium subsidy. Plans offered through Connect for Health Colorado are guaranteed-issue, so you don’t have to worry if you have any pre-existing conditions you won’t be denied coverage!

Do you have questions about special enrollment periods? Reach out to a ColoHealth Personal Benefits Manager at 800-913-6381

How to Get a Health Plan if You Aren’t Eligible for a Special Enrollment Period

It’s possible you weren’t able to get enrolled by the open enrollment deadline, or maybe you weren’t able to continue paying your premiums – how do you get a health plan now? Few options are available outside the open enrollment period, but your best course of action at this point is a low-cost healthshare plan.

Healthshare plans allow you to legally opt out of Obamacare by choosing a different strategy for covering medical bills. Healthshare plans are backed by faith-based groups and typically requireagreement with certain mutual beliefs of the group in order to qualify for membership.

You must be in fairly good health to qualify, but you can sign up for membership at any time of the year, making these plans an excellent alternative outside of the Open Enrollment Period. Because they can often save you as much as 50% off your monthly cost for medical expense coverage, they’re great option any time of the year!

You also have options for alternative coverage and additional benefits whether you missed open enrollment or want to protect yourself against accident or critical illness. Learn more on our Alternative Coverage Options page.

Health Insurance Instant Quote

HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION

  • Plans approved and authorized under the Affordable Care Act
  • Covers Pre-Existing conditions
  • Low cost subsidized plans available to those earning
    < 400% of the federal poverty level
  • Unlimited lifetime benefits
  • Available during open enrollment (November 1 – January 15), or if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period

Learn More About Colorado Health Insurance Plans

Healthshare Instant Quote

HEALTH COST-SHARING INFORMATION

  • Not health insurance, but a way for like-minded individuals to share medical expenses
  • Waiting periods on pre-existing conditions
  • May exclude sharing for certain conditions or activities
  • Enroll any time
  • Much lower monthly cost than unsubsidized health insurance

Learn More About Colorado Healthshares Programs