When can you sign up for a Marketplace health plan?

The Standard Enrollment Window

Most people sign up for their health insurance during a specific annual period known as Open Enrollment. This window opens on November 1 and closes on January 15 each year. During this time, you can apply for new coverage, renew your existing plan, or switch to a different option.

If you apply by December 15, your coverage can begin on January 1. However, if you wait until January 15 to make your choice, your coverage will not start until February 1. You must pay your first premium to activate your benefits on these dates.

What Is a Special Enrollment Period?

Life does not always wait for a calendar deadline. Some life changes qualify you to use a Special Enrollment Period. You can switch to a different Marketplace plan or sign up for one during this time, rather than waiting for the usual November to January window.

These periods are tied to specific life events that affect your household. You generally have 60 days from the date of the event to apply for coverage. The exact rules depend on the type of change, such as moving, marriage, or losing other insurance.

Life Events That Qualify You

Eligibility applies if a baby is born, a child is adopted, or a child enters foster care for you or someone in your household. Coverage may begin on the date of the event, provided you enroll within 60 days of it happening. If you marry, pick a plan by the end of the month and coverage can start on the first of the next month. Losing health insurance due to a divorce or legal separation also makes you eligible.

Relocating to a different ZIP code or county can make you eligible. This also applies if you move to the U.S. You qualify if you come back from a foreign country or move into a shelter or transitional housing. However, a move made solely for medical treatment or a vacation does not count.

Losing Coverage and the 60-Day Rule

Losing qualifying health coverage in the last 60 days, or expecting to lose it in the next 60 days, may make you eligible. This covers losing coverage through an employer, COBRA, or a plan held by a family member, including no longer being covered as a dependent on a parent's plan. You must provide acceptable documents to prove this loss. One limit: leaving a parent’s plan by your own choice is not enough by itself. HealthCare.gov puts it this way: “You must also meet at least one of these: your household income decreased, or your dependent had a change in their previous coverage that made them eligible for savings on a Marketplace plan.”

You may also qualify if your Medicaid or CHIP coverage ended within the previous 90 days.

COBRA and Other Specific Situations

COBRA is a federal law that lets you stay on a former job's group health plan for a limited time after you leave or lose hours. Once COBRA runs out, a 60-day window opens to pick a Marketplace plan. That window opens when COBRA expires or stops being offered, not when you cancel it early on your own.

If you exit COBRA before the 18-month mark, your eligibility depends on the reason for leaving. Losing coverage involuntarily, such as when an employer stops coverage, qualifies you. However, choosing to drop COBRA or stop paying premiums on your own will not make you eligible to use a Special Enrollment Period.

Once you know when you can sign up, the next choice is the plan tier. See Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum plans, explained.

Common questions

Last reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices can change; check the sources below for the official details.