If you were previously enrolled in your employer’s group health plan, you should be eligible for a special enrollment period for 60 days from the day you lost your job-based coverage. You can go onto your state’s health insurance marketplace website and file for a special enrollment period. Some important income information applies:
If your current monthly income is below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, and you live in a Medicaid expansion state, you may qualify for Medicaid. In non-expansion states, only very low-income parents with dependent children may qualify.
If you are not eligible for Medicaid, you may be eligible for premium tax credits to help you purchase a plan on the marketplace. For plan year 2023, subsidies are calculated based on the price of available plans and household income; lower income individuals are eligible for greater subsidy amounts, and some higher income individuals may not receive subsidies if there is a plan available that meets affordability standards for their income level.
Note that for your state health insurance marketplace, your income is a projection of what you expect to make over the entire year. For more information on income projections, see our federal poverty level table and our FAQ on what counts as income for HealthCare.gov. If you have any questions about what to include for your income projections, contact your marketplace.
Your ability to qualify for a special enrollment period and/or premium tax credits will depend on the state in which you live. If your income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty level and otherwise eligible for federal premium subsidies, you may be able to enroll outside of the annual open enrollment period—contact your marketplace to find out if this option is available