HOW DO I GET INSURANCE OUTSIDE OF OPEN ENROLLMENT?

Sometimes, individuals miss buying health insurance policies during open enrollment. In that case, they do not have to necessarily pay for next year’s open enrollment to buy the same coverage. Please note that you can not purchase any insurance policy until you are qualified for a special enrollment plan. This article will help you to get a health insurance policy when enrollment has ended.

Look out for the option if you still qualify for special enrollment.

Some life events make you eligible for the special enrollment period. This is a 60 days time period after the event in which a person can enroll or buy an insurance policy even if their open enrollment period has ended. These events make you eligible for a special enrollment period and are known as “qualifying events for special enrollment”. You can qualify for special enrollment if you have lost coverage due to any reason like not paying the premiums at the right time or crossed the age limit of the parent’s plan or get separated from your husband. Other qualifying events include: changing in the family-like death of spouse or parents, moving to different countries or housing, eligibility for Medicaid policy, becoming a citizen of the US, etc.

What to expect during the special enrollment period:

After enrolling in a special enrollment plan you have to provide the original proof of qualifying event 60 days time frame. If you have experienced any qualifying life event then you have a time frame of 60 days to enroll in a new health insurance policy.

Get ready with paperwork: It would be difficult for an individual to get the papers from the companies or proving that you have qualified for the live event. Therefore you need to hassle to get these papers quickly before the closing of the 60 days time period.

Confirming the eligibility: The time duration of checking the eligibility may vary from insurance to insurance company. Sometimes this time frame can be 2-4 weeks or even longer than that. Please note that your insurance coverage will not start immediately after the approval of insurance as it may take about 2-4 weeks after the approval of insurance.

You can choose a short term coverage plan: If you are worried about a long waiting period then one option is choosing the short-term health plan. These plans provide flexibility for short periods and get approved on the next day. With these plans, you can cancel short time coverage without paying a penalty before starting medical insurance. Please note that these short insurance plans provide insurance coverage but are not as comprehensive as market healthcare policies.

What to do in case you still want a health insurance plan but do not qualify for a special enrollment period?

In such a case, you can choose a short-term health insurance plan. These plans are highly affordable and can be easily purchased by individuals who want health insurance protection for a short period before the starting of the market next coverage.