Qualifying life event

A change in your situation — like getting married, having a baby, or losing health coverage — that can make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period, allowing you to enroll in health insurance outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period.

There are 4 basic types of qualifying life events. (The following are examples, not a full list.)

1. Loss of health coverage
   • Losing existing health coverage, including job-based, individual, and student plans
   • Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP
   • Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan
2. Changes in household
   • Getting married or divorced
   • Having a baby or adopting a child
   • Death in the family
3. Changes in residence
   • Moving to a different ZIP code or county
   • A student moving to or from the place they attend school
   • A seasonal worker moving to or from the place they both live and work
   • Moving to or from a shelter or other transitional housing
4. Other qualifying events
   • Changes in your income that affect the coverage you qualify for
   • Gaining membership in a federally recognized tribe or status as an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation shareholder
   • Becoming a U.S. citizen
   • Leaving incarceration (jail or prison)
   • AmeriCorps members starting or ending their service