Special Enrollment
Special Enrollment lets people enroll in health coverage outside of the Open Enrollment Period.
To meet the requirements for Special Enrollment, you must have a qualifying life event.
Depending on the qualifying life event type, individuals may have 60 days before or 60 days following the event to enroll in a health plan. If you qualify for Medicaid or the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program (KCHIP), you may enroll anytime during the year.
What is a qualifying event?
Examples of qualifying life events are:
• Getting married.
• Having a baby or adopting a child.
• Moving to the state (may require that you had previous coverage).
• Turning 26 and losing coverage through your parents’ plan.
• Losing your employer-sponsored insurance. This can be due to a job loss, change in
employment status, or your employer no longer offering coverage.
• Losing coverage through Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act(COBRA);
including when an employer stops contributing toward the COBRA premium.
• Losing other private health insurance.
• Getting divorced and losing coverage because of the divorce.
• Losing Medicaid or KCHIP.
• Experiencing household income changes such as:
o Now qualifying for Payment Assistance or Special Discounts on Cost-Sharing.
o No longer qualifying for Payment Assistance or Special Discounts on Cost-Sharing.
o Estimated household income at or under 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• Experiencing exceptional circumstances other than traditional qualifying life events.
Please see the Exceptional Special Enrollment Fact Sheet for more information.
Please Note: Failure to pay premiums will not qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period.