Health Insurance Marketplace Offers Special Enrollment Period in Response to COVID-19

UPDATE (March 26): the special enrollment deadline has been extended to August 15, 2021.

Original story (February 15, 2021): The federal government is reopening the Health Insurance Marketplace beginning February 15 through May 15, 2021, to assist Americans who remain uninsured or are underinsured during the COVID-19 emergency.

A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is available to consumers in the 36 states served by Marketplaces that use the www.HealthCare.gov platform. Consumers won’t need to provide any documentation of a qualifying event (e.g., loss of a job or birth of a child), which is typically required for SEP eligibility when enrolling at www.HealthCare.gov.

Marketplace enrollments will be accepted starting on February 15 to all eligible consumers submitting a new application or updating an existing application. Current enrollees will be able to change to any available plan in their area without restriction to the same coverage level as their current plan.

SERS Wraparound HRA participants who change Marketplace plans during this SEP will need to call HealthSCOPE Benefits at 1-888-236-2377 to update their plan information.