Had a baby or adopted? Congratulations.

How it works

• Birth, adoption, placement for adoption or foster care: you have 60 days to enroll or change plans.
• Coverage can start the day of the event, even if you enroll up to 60 days afterward.
• A court-ordered dependent's coverage starts on the effective date of the order.
• Your household size goes up, so update your application. Your savings may change.

Got married?

Marriage also opens a 60-day window. Pick a plan by the last day of the month and coverage starts the 1st of the next month. In most cases at least one spouse needs to have had qualifying coverage in the 60 days before the wedding (or lived abroad or in a U.S. territory).

Special Enrollment Period basics

• Most life changes give you 60 days to pick a plan. Losing Medicaid or CHIP gives you 90 days on HealthCare.gov.
• You may need to upload documents that prove the change, generally within 30 days of picking a plan. Your coverage can't be used until that's confirmed and your first premium is paid.
• States that run their own Marketplace may have their own rules and dates. I'll check yours.
• Private plans have their own enrollment rules. They are not ACA plans: they're medically underwritten, approval isn't guaranteed, they may not cover pre-existing conditions, and they don't qualify for tax credits.