My hours at work were cut and I no longer qualify for my employer’s plan. Do I have to wait until the open enrollment period to sign up for an individual plan?

No. You should qualify for a “special enrollment period” and can purchase individual coverage, so long as you do so within 60 days of losing eligibility for your employer plan (although there may be an extension for exceptional circumstances). If you did not know you lost eligibility for your employer plan until after this 60-day window, you have 60 days from when you found out. If you know the date your coverage will end, your special enrollment period can begin 60 days prior to the end of your coverage, so you can enroll in time to avoid a gap in coverage. Depending on the state, you may need to submit documents verifying that you no longer qualify for your employer’s plan to confirm your eligibility for a special enrollment period. If so, once you select a health plan, you will have 30 days to submit the verifying documentation. The Marketplace will send you a notice of the requirement to submit verifying documents along with a list of acceptable documents and instructions on how to submit them. A list of acceptable documents is also available here. (45 C.F.R. § 155.420; 82 Fed. Reg. 18346, April 18, 2017; Healthcare.gov, Submit documents to confirm your loss of coverage).