When referring to health care/health insurance, the open enrollment period is the time of the year when you or your employees can sign up or make changes to their existing health insurance plans.
2023 Open Enrollment Periods:
For the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, the open enrolment period starts on November 1st and ends on January 15th. That being said, some states' open enrollment periods vary. Those states' open enrollment periods are listed below:
- District of Columbia: November 1st - January 31st
- Maryland: November 1st - December 15th
- California: November 1st - January 31st
- Idaho: October 15th - December 15th
- Massachusetts: November 1st - January 23rd
- New Jersey: November 1st - January 31st
- New York: November 16th - January 31st
- Rhode Island: November 1st - January 31st
Why can't I enroll in health coverage whenever I want?
Health insurance providers offer open enrollment periods to avoid people enrolling in a plan only when they're sick and then dropping it when they are healthy. If this were the case, there wouldn't be enough healthy people paying premiums to cover the medical costs of individuals when they are sick.
How Do Open Enrollment Periods Vary?
Open enrollment periods often vary based on the type of coverage offered. The classifications of coverage with different open enrollment periods are as follows:
- ACA Marketplace: Annual enrollment periods span from November 1st to January 15th.
- Medicare: Annual enrollment periods are typically from October 15th - December 7th.
- Medicare Advantage: annual enrollment spans from January 1st - March 31st.
- Employer-Sponsored: Open enrollment is set by the employer.
Can I Make Changes to my Coverage Outside of Open Enrollment?
Yes, however, you must meet one of the following life events to qualify:
- Adopting a child
- Becoming a U.S. citizen
- Changing income
- Getting married
- Having a baby
- Losing health insurance
- Moving to a new state
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