There are two types of enrollment periods, Open Enrollment and Special Enrollment. Open enrollment is limited to a few months each year. Open enrollment begins November 15 and runs through February 15, with three possible effective dates of January 1, February 1 and March 1, with guarantee acceptance. There are no health screen or pre-existing condition requirements.
During the rest of the year individuals may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. To be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period there must be a qualifying event. Below is a non-inclusive list of qualifying events:
- Having a baby; adopting a child or placing a child for adoption or foster care.
- Getting married.
- Loss of other health coverage, this can happen for many reasons:
- Loss of employer group coverage.
- End of COBRA coverage.
- Age off a parent’s coverage at age 26.
- Divorce
- Loss of Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare.
- Loss of government-sponsored coverage such as CHAMPUS and TRICARE.
- Being denied Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
- Move residence outside current insurance plan service area.
- Gaining citizenship.
- Gaining status as member of a federally recognized tribe.
- Leaving incarceration.
- For individuals already enrolled in Marketplace coverage, having a change in income or household status that affects eligibility for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions.
Under these circumstances individuals will need to provide proof of the qualifying event.
More information can be found about MNSure’s Special Enrollment periods here.
Also available is Short-Term coverage, which individuals can purchase 30, 60 or 90 day plans. Enrollment for short term coverage runs all year, and does not require a qualifying event; this coverage can be re-applied for at the end of coverage period. This type of coverage does not meet Affordable Care Act requirements; therefore individuals opting for this may be subject to a tax penalty.