Open enrollment and special enrollment periods

Marketplace coverage is not sold year-round. There is one annual window — and a set of life events that open a special window.

Open enrollment

On the federal marketplace, open enrollment for the next plan year runs November 1 to January 15. To have coverage on January 1, enrol by December 15. States that run their own marketplaces set their own dates, often similar but not identical. Outside these dates you cannot newly enrol or change plans without a special enrollment period (Medicaid and CHIP are open year-round).

Special enrollment periods

Qualifying life events include: losing other health coverage (including losing a job-based plan or aging off a parent's plan), moving to a new area, marriage or divorce, having a baby or adopting, death of someone on the plan, and changes in immigration status. You generally have 60 days from the event to enrol; coverage typically starts the first of the month after you enrol.

What you will need

Proof of the event (termination letter, marriage certificate, lease), Social Security numbers, immigration documents if applicable, employer information and income estimates. Start the application early — the marketplace can require documents and delays are common.

Missed the window?

Check whether you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP (year-round, income-based), a short-term plan (limited benefit — read the exclusions), or your state's high-risk pool. Also check HealthCare.gov for any extended enrollment periods announced for the current year.

Written and maintained by the US Health Insurance Marketplace data team · last reviewed 2026-10-24 · sources and methodology.