What You Can Do If You Missed the Enrollment Deadline

It’s thrilling to know over seven million people enrolled for health coverage by the March 31st deadline and will now have access to quality, affordable health care. If you happen to not be one of the millions of people with a newly purchased plan, all hope is not lost. Here are a few ways you can still enroll in coverage:

• If you began enrolling in the Marketplace before the March 31st deadline, but weren’t able to complete the application because of issues with the website, overwhelmed phone lines, or other technical issues, you have until April 15th to enroll. Visit Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 for assistance.

• If you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period you may be eligible to enroll in coverage. Call 1-800-318-2596 for assistance. Here are some examples of circumstances that would make you eligible to sign up for coverage outside of open enrollment:
  • A qualifying life event, which includes:
    • Loss of other health coverage
    • Change in your family size like having a baby or getting married.  Note that getting pregnant does NOT qualify you for a special enrollment period
    • Moving to a different state
    • Special circumstances or complex cases, which include:
      • An exceptional circumstance, such as a serious medical condition or natural disaster that prevented you from enrolling
      • Other examples include misinformation, victims of domestic abuse, system errors, and more. View a more comprehensive list  of special circumstances that may qualify for a special enrollment period here.

• Though Texas leadership decided to not expand Medicaid in our state, people eligible for Medicaid (including low-income children, pregnant women, and some parents) may enroll at any time during the year. Similarly, families can apply for CHIP for their children year round.

• If none of these options apply to you, the next open enrollment period starts November 15th.