Updates to the Special Enrollment Period – Now Through August 15th

President Biden recently signed an executive order allowing all eligible residents to sign up for health coverage from February 15^th through August 15^th without a Qualifying Life Event.

What does this New Special Enrollment Period mean for me?

Individuals and families can typically enroll in health insurance during the annual Open Enrollment Period (usually November 1 – December 15), or if they experience a Qualifying Life Event during the rest of the year causing a personal Special Enrollment Period of 60 days.

The new Special Enrollment Period is designed to help America stay safe as we hopefully near the end of the COVID-19 Pandemic, allowing eligible residents to get coverage and get treatment if needed. During this Special Enrollment Period, anyone can enroll in a Marketplace Health Plan without a Qualifying Life Event, making it like the annual Open Enrollment Period.

Unlike most Special Enrollment Periods, if you enroll between February 15^th and August 15^th, you will not need to provide any documentation supporting a qualifying life event.

How can I get Health Insurance?

With W3LL, you can shop and enroll in health plans in most states. Our intuitive shopping portal makes it easy to compare costs and coverage, see if your doctor is covered, and estimate costs for your prescriptions. W3LL also provides real time tax credit determinations which could mean monthly premiums as low as $0.

Many Qualify for $0 Bronze Plans

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, over 9 million uninsured residents qualify for subsidized health insurance through the Marketplace, and over 4 million are eligible for $0 Bronze Plans. Who might be eligible for these $0 plans? Typically, families who earn 1 to 4 times the Federal Poverty level. If you’re not sure if you qualify, check in under 3 minutes on W3LL. After the American Rescue Plan, more residents qualify for free or low cost plans than ever before, and those that did qualify already will be receiving increased discounts.

When is the Special Enrollment Period?
For most states, you can enroll from February 15, 2021 – August 15, 2021.

Some states operate their own exchanges and control their enrollment periods. Here is a list of the states that have announced their own extended open enrollment or new special enrollment periods.

California: Now through August 15th

Colorado: Now through August 15th

Connecticut: Now through April 15th

District of Columbia (DC): Now through “end of the Pandemic”

Idaho: Now through April 30th

Maryland: Now through August 15th

Massachusetts: Now through July 23rd

Minnesota: Now through July 16th

Nevada: Now through August 15th

New Jersey: Now through November 30th

New York: Now through end of 2021

Pennsylvania: Now through August 15th

Rhode Island: Now through August 15th

Vermont: Now through May 14th

Washington: Now through August 15th

*Many of these states are only allowing uninsured people to enroll without a qualifying life change including Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington DC.

How do I enroll?

Visit our shopping portal to get started or call 888-780-7122 to enroll over the phone.