Open Enrolment
November 1 to January 15
ACA Marketplace, individuals and families
Enrol by December 15 for a January 1 start
After January 15 you need a qualifying life event to enrol at all.
Every window, and how long you have left
Outside these windows you cannot buy a major medical plan unless something specific has happened in your life. Here is the year, and here is the list.
Free tool · enrolment windows
The windows are real deadlines, and they close
Miss one and you wait a year, unless something specific has happened.
36
days until Open Enrolment opens
November 1
80
days to the December 15 deadline
for a January 1 start
72
days until Medicare AEP closes
December 7
60
days is your Special Enrolment clock
from the event, not from when you noticed
Medicare Annual Enrolment
October 15 to December 7
Anyone on Medicare Advantage or Part D
Changes take effect January 1
This is when we re-run your drug list against next year's plans.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrolment
January 1 to March 31
People already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan
One change allowed
You can switch Advantage plans or return to Original Medicare with a Part D plan.
Initial Enrolment Period
Seven months around your 65th birthday
Anyone approaching 65
Three months before, your birthday month, three months after
Enrolling in the three months before avoids a gap. Missing it can create a lifetime Part B penalty.
You get 60 days from the event, not 60 days from when you noticed
The clock runs from the date of the qualifying event itself. Miss it and the next opportunity is Open Enrolment, which can mean months uninsured. For most events you can also apply in the 60 days before a planned loss of coverage, which is the better move when you already know the end date.
- You lost coverage
A job ended, a plan ended, you aged off a parent's plan at 26, or COBRA ran out. Voluntarily dropping coverage does not count.
Termination letter or a letter of creditable coverage showing the end date
- You moved
A permanent move to a new ZIP code or county that changes the plans available to you. You must have had coverage for one of the previous 60 days.
Lease, deed, utility bill or USPS confirmation with the move date
- You married
Marriage opens a window for both spouses. At least one of you generally needs prior coverage in the previous 60 days.
Marriage certificate
- A baby arrived
Birth, adoption or placement for foster care. Coverage can usually be backdated to the date of the event.
Birth certificate, hospital record or placement papers
- Your income changed
A change that makes you newly eligible or newly ineligible for a premium tax credit or for cost-sharing reductions.
Pay records, a new contract, or an updated Schedule C projection
- You gained citizenship or lawful status
Newly eligible immigration status or naturalisation opens a Marketplace window.
Naturalisation certificate or immigration documentation
- You left incarceration
Release from detention opens a Special Enrolment Period.
Release documentation with the date
- A carrier error or a plan violation
If a plan substantially violated its contract or you were enrolled in error, the Marketplace can open a window on request.
Documentation of the error, usually gathered with us
Confirm current dates at HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov before you rely on them.
Medicare
October
Medicare Annual Enrolment opens on the 15th. We start the drug-list re-run for every Medicare client.
Marketplace
November
Marketplace Open Enrolment opens on the 1st. Seminars run all month, and this is the quietest time to enrol.
Both
December
The 7th closes Medicare Annual Enrolment. The 15th is the last day to enrol for a January 1 Marketplace start.
Both
January
The 15th closes Open Enrolment. From the 1st, Medicare Advantage Open Enrolment allows one change until March 31.
SEP
February to September
Special Enrolment Periods only. A qualifying life event opens a 60-day window, and nothing else does.
Always
Any month
Turning 65 opens your seven-month Initial Enrolment Period regardless of the season. Standalone dental and vision are available year-round.
Questions about windows and deadlines
November 1 to January 15 for Marketplace plans in Tennessee and Georgia. Enrol by December 15 for coverage starting January 1. Enrol between December 16 and January 15 and coverage generally starts February 1.
Only with a qualifying life event: losing coverage, moving, marrying, a birth or adoption, a change in income affecting eligibility, a change in immigration status, or release from incarceration. You get 60 days from the event.
No. It runs from the date of the event itself. For a planned loss of coverage you can often apply in the 60 days before it happens, which avoids any gap at all.
The Annual Enrolment Period is October 15 to December 7 with changes effective January 1. Medicare Advantage Open Enrolment runs January 1 to March 31 and allows one change. Your Initial Enrolment Period is the seven months around your 65th birthday.
Confirm current dates at HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov before relying on them.
On a 60-day clock right now?
Tell us the date the thing happened and we will tell you exactly how long is left and what document you need.
Our help is free to you. We are paid by the carrier you choose, and the premium is the same whether you use us or enrol on your own.