Some states are offering special open enrollment periods for Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage due to current events.
In March, the Trump administration considered a special enrollment period (SEP) to allow more people to sign up for coverage under the ACA, but later decided against an across-the-board reopening of enrollment.
The official open enrollment period for 2020 ended Dec. 15, 2019. What does that mean for people currently seeking coverage under the ACA? In this case, the answer may depend upon their state of residence.
States With SEPs
While the federal government runs the ACA marketplace for most states via healthcare.gov, it should be noted other states operate their own exchanges under the act.
In response to recent events, 11 out of 12 of these states, plus the District of Columbia, announced SEPs of their own (Idaho remains an exception). These include:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Washington
Employers with workforces in these states should be aware of the enrollment period, including its deadline. New deadlines range from April 2 to June 30. You can find more information on state-specific changes here.
Individuals who do not live in these states may still qualify for an SEP in the event of certain life-changing circumstances, including loss of job-based health insurance. This requires proof of lost coverage. Learn more about qualifying events on healthcare.gov.
