Special Enrollment Period: How to Get Health Insurance After Losing Your Job
A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) lets you enroll in a Marketplace health plan outside open enrollment after a qualifying life event. In most cases you have 60 days from the event, such as losing job-based coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby, to pick a plan.
Qualifying life events
| Event | Examples |
|---|---|
| Losing health coverage | Losing job-based coverage, aging off a parent’s plan at 26, losing Medicaid or CHIP |
| Household changes | Marriage, birth, adoption or foster placement, divorce with loss of coverage |
| Moving | New ZIP code or county, moving to the U.S., moving to or from school or seasonal work |
| Other changes | Becoming a U.S. citizen, leaving incarceration, certain income changes |
Voluntarily dropping coverage, or losing it because premiums were not paid, generally does not qualify.
If you lost your job
You have three main options:
- A Marketplace plan through a Special Enrollment Period. If your income drops, you may qualify for a premium tax credit that lowers your monthly cost.
- COBRA, which keeps your employer plan, usually at the full premium plus a small fee.
- A spouse’s or parent’s employer plan, which usually has its own 30–60 day special enrollment window.
Compare total cost before you choose. COBRA is often the most expensive option.
Documents to keep ready
- A letter from your employer or insurer showing the date your coverage ended
- Proof of your new address, if you moved
- Marriage, birth or adoption records, if those apply
- Your expected income for the year
Timing your new coverage
If you enroll before your old coverage ends, your new plan usually starts the first day of the month after it ends, so you avoid a gap. Waiting until near the end of the 60 days can leave you uninsured for a month or more.
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. See our open enrollment 2027 guide.
Get help from a licensed agent
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Sources
- HealthCare.gov — Special Enrollment Period
- HealthCare.gov — Health coverage if you’re unemployed
- U.S. Department of Labor — COBRA continuation coverage
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Plan availability, dates and costs can change; confirm details with a licensed agent or the official source.