Open enrollment plans for health insurance are typically brief windows of time when you're eligible to sign up. However, if the window of time has passed, you still have options for getting the health care you need. You can apply through a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) if you experience a qualifying life event or if you're eligible for Medicaid or CHIP programs. In addition to these options, there are alternatives like short-term health insurance and catastrophic coverage.

Getting Health Insurance Through Special🍌 Enrollment ꧙Period (SEP)

Most health insurance plans offer Special Enrollment Periods (SEP) when you are allowed to enroll or adjust your medical coverage. Special Enrollment Periods are limited, so you need to be aware of how much time you have to sign up.

Typically, special enrollment periods are offered if you experience a qualifying event. These 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:qualifying life events include:

• Changes in household: Marriage, divorce, death, birth of a child, adoption, or placing a child in foster care
• Changes in residence: Moved to a new ZIP code, county, state, or country; or moved for school, work, or transitional housing
• Loss of health care coverage: 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Lost your job, are no longer a dependent on your parents' insurance, or lost eligibility through Medicaid
• Other factors: Became a United States citizen or were released from incarceration, started a new job, and are eligible for employer-based coverage, or were affected by a FEMA-designated natural disaster

If you've experienced a qualifying event, your employer will either offer you coverage through their health plan, or you can fill out a health care application, or you can apply through the Marketplace. When you log into Healthcare.gov, you'll be asked to specify your qualifying event.

You might have to show proof of the event before submitting your application. If so, you'll usually have to send documentation within 30 days of applying. Select a health care plan and pay your first premium to activate coverage.

Getting Health Insurance With Medicaid or CHIP

People with low incomes may be eligible for health insurance through government programs like Medicaid and the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Ch๊ildren's Health Insuranceꦏ Plan (CHIP). Medicaid is funded with a combination of federal and state dollars, and each state determines its own eligibility criteria. For example, income limits vary by state. However, Medicaid is usually offered to people with disabilities, pregnant women, and low-income families with children.

Since Medicaid has strict income limits, some families might find they make too much money to qualify but still struggle to afford health insurance. Fortunately, states and the federal government fund CHIP, which covers people under 18 who meet expanded income guidelines. Again, eligibility and coverage vary by state, but CHIP typically provides immunizations, well-child checkups, doctor visits, and prescript🅰ions.

To apply for either program, log into . You may be redirected tไo your state's health care marketplace if it has one. Select the reason you're eligible to enroll outside of the open enrollment period and p♉rovide details like your Social Security Number, contact information, and income estimate. You'll also have to include information about the people in your home and whether or not they need health insurance.

Once your application is processed, you'll see if you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP. There's no need to fill out separate applications.

Othe🅰r Options to🎃 Get Health Insurance After Open Enrollment

If you don't qualify for Medicaid or health insurance through a Special Enrollment Period, there are a few more options available to you.

Short-Term Health Plans

It's common to lose health care coverage when you're in between jobs or contracts. In these cases, you probably want to look into short-term health insurance coverage until you have a qualifying event or it's open enrollment time.

While short-term health plans are useful ways to get health insurance while you wait for coverage through your employer or the Marketplace, they're usually much more expensive and don't provide as much coverage or federal protections. For example, individuals with pre-existing conditions might be denied altogether.

Still, signing up for short-term health insurance doesn't have to cost too much if you shop around for providers. To start, request quotes from the 澳洲幸ℱ运5开奖号码历史查询:best short-✱term health insurance companies. Then🐎, compare quotes based on the coverage each provides and the cost.

On💎ce you find a policy that works for you, apply with your detailed information and pay your first premium. This activates your account so coverage begins. After you become eligible for an employer plan or Marketplace plan, you can cancel the short-term coverage.

Catastrophic Health Plan

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Catastrophic health plans are often an option of the last resort because they have incredibly high deductibles. As the name implies, they're essentially plans that provide coverage for worst-case medical scenarios. Only people under age 30 or those who qualify for hardship exemptions are eligible, but availability also varies by state.

With a catastrophic health plan, preventive services are provided at no cost and members get three primary care visits per year before the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:deductible kicks in. These plans are usually most appealing to young people who are generally healthy, since they really only prꦗovide extensive coverage once you've paid the extremely high deductible because of mounting medical bills.

People who anticipate needing regular medical care would do better to select a Bronze or Silver plan through the Marketplace.

The Bottom Line

If you missed open enrollment for health insurance or lost your health care coverage, don't worry. There are many events that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period, and don't forget that you might be eligible for federally funded health care like Medicaid. To see what health care options are available, visit and learn about applying for health care in your state.