Quick answer
A qualifying life event is a change in your life, like losing health coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby, that lets you sign up for or change a health plan outside open enrollment. For marketplace plans, you usually have 60 days after the event to pick a plan. Job-based plans generally give you at least 30 days.
Key takeaways
- Most qualifying events give you a 60-day special enrollment period on the marketplace.
- Losing other coverage counts, but voluntarily dropping coverage or losing it for not paying premiums doesn’t.
- Moving usually only counts if you had qualifying health coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move.
- The marketplace may ask for documents proving the event before your coverage starts.
- Medicaid and CHIP don’t need a qualifying event. You can apply any time.
On this page
Why qualifying events exist
Marketplace and job-based plans have a yearly open enrollment period. Because ACA plans can’t turn anyone down for their health, people can only sign up at set times, or when something in their life changes. That’s what a qualifying event is for. It applies whether you buy on HealthCare.gov or directly from an insurer.
Losing health coverage
You qualify if you lose, or are about to lose, minimum essential coverage, including:
- Job-based coverage, because you lost your job, your hours were cut or the employer stopped offering it
- Coverage through a family member, like aging off a parent’s plan at 26
- Medicaid or CHIP, including when your income rises
- COBRA coverage that runs out
- Student health coverage that ends, as you’ll see in health insurance for students
You can report the loss up to 60 days before it happens so the new plan starts right when the old one ends. It doesn’t count if you drop your employer plan by choice or stop paying premiums. Turning 65 and gaining Medicare has its own enrollment rules.
Changes in your household
- Marriage. At least one spouse usually needs to have had coverage in the 60 days before the wedding.
- A new child through birth, adoption or foster care. Coverage can start on the date of the event.
- Divorce or legal separation that ends your coverage. See can a spouse be dropped from health insurance and health insurance after a divorce.
- Death of someone on your plan. See health insurance options after a spouse dies.
Children can join a parent’s plan, or get their own coverage through Medicaid or CHIP, at any time CHIP accepts applications.
Changes in where you live
Moving to a new ZIP code or county, moving to the U.S. from abroad, or moving to or from a school or seasonal job can qualify. In most cases, you need to have had qualifying coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move. Moving just to get medical care doesn’t count. See transferring health insurance to a new state.
Other qualifying events
- Becoming a U.S. citizen or gaining lawfully present status. See health insurance if you’re not a U.S. citizen.
- Getting out of jail or prison
- Being a member of a federally recognized tribe, which lets you change plans once a month
- An income change that makes you newly eligible for help paying premiums, in some cases
- An employer offering you an individual coverage HRA
Income changes are worth reporting even when they don’t give you a special enrollment period, because they affect your subsidy. See what happens if you under-report your income.
Through 2026, people with income under 150% of the federal poverty level could enroll any month. That special enrollment period ends after 2026.
How to use a special enrollment period
- Report the event on HealthCare.gov or your state’s marketplace within 60 days.
- Upload any documents it asks for, like a letter showing your coverage ended or a lease showing your new address.
- Pick a plan and pay the first premium.
Coverage usually starts the first of the month after you pick a plan; how long it takes to get health insurance after applying has the details. You won’t be asked about your health or need a medical exam or drug test to enroll in an ACA plan.
For job-based plans, ask HR. Federal rules give you at least 30 days after events like marriage, a birth or losing other coverage, and 60 days after gaining or losing Medicaid or CHIP.
If you don’t have a qualifying event
Look at Medicaid and CHIP, which accept applications all year, and see the cheapest ways to get health insurance for other options until the next open enrollment. When it’s time to choose, compare plans carefully.
Related guides: what to do if you missed open enrollment and how to add a newborn to your health insurance.
Had a qualifying event? Compare plans in your ZIP code.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have after a qualifying event?
Usually 60 days on the marketplace, and at least 30 days for job-based plans.
Does losing my job count if I choose COBRA first?
Yes, you can pick a marketplace plan instead of COBRA within 60 days of losing job-based coverage. But if you choose COBRA and later drop it, that doesn’t give you a new special enrollment period. It does count if COBRA runs out.
Does getting married count?
Yes. You have 60 days, and in most cases at least one of you needs to have had coverage in the 60 days before the wedding.
Is turning 26 a qualifying event?
Yes. Losing coverage on a parent’s plan at 26 gives you a special enrollment period.
Sources
This article is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Special enrollment rules have exceptions and vary by state and employer, so check HealthCare.gov, your state’s marketplace or your HR department. Last reviewed September 2026.