As fall approaches, so does open enrollment — the annual period where most Americans enroll in a health insurance plan for the upcoming calendar year.
With the COVID-19 pandemic far from over, health insurance remains more important than ever. So, whether you’re insured through your employer or venturing into the insurance marketplace on your own, it’s vital to know how and when to obtain coverage.
Below, we’ll outline all the important opening and closing dates for the 2022 period, as well as any extensions or exceptions.
When is open enrollment 2022?
For health coverage that starts January 1, 2022, nationwide open enrollment begins November 1, 2021 and ends December 15, 2021.
However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have proposed extending the deadline 30 days, through January 15, 2022. Even if this extension is passed, residents in most states will still need to enroll by December 15 in order to have coverage by January 1.
There are also some states and areas that have different dates from the above:
- California: October 15, 2021 through January 31, 2022
- Colorado: November 1, 2021 through January 15, 2022
- Connecticut: November 1, 2021 through January 15, 2022
- Idaho: November 1, 2021 through December 31, 2020
- Massachusetts: November 1, 2021 through January 23, 2022
- Minnesota: November 1, 2021 through December 22, 2021
- Nevada: November 1, 2021 through January 15, 2022
- New Jersey: November 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022
- New York: November 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022
- Pennsylvania: November 1, 2021 through January 15, 2022
- Rhode Island: October 15, 2021 through December 31, 2022
Washington DC: November 1, 2021 through January 31, 2022
Other Dates and Special Enrollment Periods
Medicaid and CHIP. Open enrollment for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is year-round for those who qualify.
Native Americans. Members of federally recognized tribes and ANCSA shareholders are eligible to enroll year-round.
Qualifying Events. There are a few life events that can qualify you for a special enrollment period if anyone in your household has experienced them in the last 60 days.
- Marriage
- Having a baby, adopting a child or placing a child for foster care
- Getting divorced or legally separated and losing health insurance (Divorce or legal separation without losing coverage doesn’t qualify you for a special enrollment period)
- Death of someone on your plan (this qualifies you for a special enrollment period if the death results in you being no longer eligible for your current health plan)
- Changes in residence:
- Moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county
- Moving to the U.S. from a foreign country or U.S. territory
- If you’re a student, moving to or from the place you attend school
- If you’re a seasonal worker, moving to or from the place you both live and work
- Moving to or from a shelter or other transitional housing
- Loss of health insurance
COVID-related. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there was also a nationwide special enrollment period for obtaining 2021 coverage that ended on August 15. For some of the states that run their own open enrollment, though, these special periods are ongoing.
- California: Through December 31 for uninsured residents and those switching from off-exchange to on-exchange coverage.
- Connecticut: Through October 31
- DC: Through the end of the pandemic emergency period
- Minnesota: Minnesota’s special enrollment period for COVID ended in July, but those who have received unemployment compensation in 2021 can still enroll
- New Jersey: Through December 31
- New York: Through December 31
- Vermont: Through October 1 for uninsured residents
For more information and updated information about the open enrollment period, refer to healthcare.gov.
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