Special Enrollment Period (SEP)

A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is a 60-day window when you can buy a Marketplace plan outside the normal Open Enrollment Period because something specific happened in your life. Without a qualifying event, you cannot enroll mid-year. You have to wait for the next Open Enrollment.

What counts as a qualifying life event

The major SEP-triggering events for 2026:

Loss of coverage:

• Lost a job (and the employer health plan that came with it)
• Aged off a parent’s plan (turning 26)
• Lost Medicaid or CHIP
• Lost coverage through a divorce
• COBRA ran out
• Your individual plan ended and you did not renew

Household changes:

• Got married
• Had a baby or adopted a child
• Got divorced or legally separated (and you lost coverage as a result)
• A household member died

Residency / status:

• Moved to a new ZIP code or county (if your current plan does not cover the new area)
• Became a US citizen or gained lawfully present immigration status
• Released from incarceration

Income / eligibility:

• Income changed enough that you became eligible (or ineligible) for a Marketplace subsidy
• Began or ended a tribal membership status

Errors / exceptional circumstances:

• Marketplace error during a prior enrollment
• Natural disaster prevented enrollment during OEP
• Domestic abuse / spousal abandonment

The 60-day window

The SEP usually opens on the date of the qualifying event and closes 60 days later. For loss of coverage specifically, you also get a 60-day window before the loss to enroll proactively; useful when you know in advance (like aging off a parent’s plan).

If you miss the 60 days, you cannot use that event to enroll. You have to wait for the next OEP or another qualifying event.

Documentation required

For most events, you will need to provide proof:

• Loss of coverage: letter from previous insurer with the end date
• Marriage: marriage certificate or other documentation
• Birth/adoption: birth certificate, adoption order
• Move: utility bill, lease, or driver’s license showing new address
• Citizenship: naturalization certificate

Have these ready when you apply: the Marketplace verifies before activating coverage.

What if no event applies

If none of these apply but you need coverage urgently:

• Medicaid and CHIP accept applications year-round, no SEP needed
• Some states have a state-funded enrollment assistance option
• Short-term limited-duration insurance is available year-round but is not ACA-compliant (no preexisting conditions protection, no minimum essential coverage), use only as a last resort

A licensed agent can check whether your specific situation qualifies for a SEP.

Related terms

• Open Enrollment Period (OEP)
• APTC

Talk to an agent, a licensed agent can verify your SEP eligibility for free.