Losing health insurance can be stressful — but it may also give you the opportunity to get a new plan through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). If you’ve lost qualifying coverage, you usually have 60 days to enroll in a Marketplace plan, even if it’s outside the normal Open Enrollment period.
Work with a local advisor, they can help you determine if you qualify and guide you through the entire process so you don’t miss your chance to get coverage.
You may qualify for a SEP if you’ve lost any of the following:
Job-Based Health Insurance
-You left your job (voluntarily or involuntarily)
-Your employer stopped offering coverage
-You lost eligibility for employer coverage (e.g., hours reduced)
Marketplace Plan
-You moved out of your plan’s service area
-Your plan was discontinued
Medicaid or CHIP
-You’re no longer eligible due to income or household changes
-Medicaid “unwinding” (losing continuous coverage after the public health emergency)
COBRA Coverage
-You reached the end of your COBRA term
-You can’t afford to keep paying COBRA premiums
Other Coverage
-Student health plan ended
-Dependent coverage ended when you turned 26
-Loss of individual or family policy
You generally won’t qualify for a SEP if:
-You voluntarily drop coverage when you still have the option to keep it
-Your plan was terminated because you didn’t pay premiums
For most situations, your 60-day enrollment window starts the day you lose coverage.
-If you apply before your coverage ends, you can avoid a gap by having your new plan start immediately after your old plan ends.
-If you apply after losing coverage, your new plan may start the first day of the month after you enroll.
The Marketplace often requires proof of your loss of coverage, such as:
-Letter from your employer or insurance company
-COBRA notice
-State Medicaid termination letter
-Policy cancellation notice
-Free expert help — no extra cost to you
-Licensed Utah agents who know Marketplace rules inside and out
-Fast, step-by-step assistance to avoid gaps in coverage
-Personalized plan recommendations to fit your needs and budget
