Special Enrollment Periods

Events that open a special enrollment window

• Losing health coverage — from a job, aging off a parent's plan, or losing Medicaid eligibility
• Getting married
• Having a baby, adopting, or placing a child for adoption or foster care
• Moving to a new ZIP code or county where different plans are available
• Losing coverage through a divorce or legal separation
• Becoming newly eligible or ineligible for other coverage

How the 60-day window works

Most qualifying life events open a 60-day window from the date of the event. Enroll inside the window and coverage can start the first of the next month; let the window close and you'll generally wait until the next Open Enrollment.

Some events have different lengths — losing Medicaid, for example, can carry a longer window — so don't assume; ask.

What you'll need

The marketplace typically asks for proof of the qualifying event — a layoff letter, marriage certificate, or birth record, for example. Having documents ready speeds up approval and avoids a stalled application.

Not sure if your situation qualifies?

The rules have real edge cases — a move only qualifies if you had coverage beforehand, and not every job change counts. A five-minute call to 407-520-6615 is the fastest way to know whether your window is open right now.