Obtaining health insurance protection outside of the Michigan Open Enrollment (Special Enrollment Option)

After the due date of 4/1, many Michigan buyers realized that the time to sign up for the Affordable Care act was over.

While you cannot submit an application for a “compliant plan” now, their are specific situations each year that offer you a way to apply for a plan that is compliant.

Straight from the Healthcare.gov web-site, it defines how one can purchase coverage under a special enrollment period. This includes,

• Marriage, having a baby, adopting a child or even placing a child for adoption or foster care, moving your residence, gaining citizenship, leaving incarceration
• Losing other health coverage—due to losing job-based coverage, divorce, the end of an individual policy plan year in 2014, COBRA expiration, aging off a parent’s plan, losing eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP, and similar circumstances. Important: Voluntarily ending coverage doesn't qualify you for a special enrollment period. Neither does losing coverage that doesn't qualify as minimum essential coverage.
• For people already enrolled in Marketplace coverage: Having a change in income or household status that affects eligibility for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions.
• Gaining status as member of an Indian tribe. Members of federally recognized Indian tribes can sign up for or change plans once per month throughout the year.

Obviously if any of the situations do occur, you need to make contact with us to learn more about your alternatives.