Although some pregnant women might be eligible
for special enrollment periods due to qualifying events, pregnancy itself is not a qualifying event.
Conversely, other commenters expressed concern about the elimination or limitation of
existing special enrollment periods without documented proof of abuse.
We continue to be interested in better understanding how consumers are
accessing special enrollment periods and whether they are doing so in an appropriate and accurate way.
We also agree that consumers who experience these qualifying events should have access to the
same special enrollment periods, regardless of the State that they live in.
If you miss this short
special enrollment window, you'll have to wait until the next open enrollment period to buy health insurance on your state's health insurance exchange.
Most special enrollment periods extend 60 days from the date of the qualifying life event, so it's important to make this a priority, even though your deadline may be delayed.
Now there are things that allow you to make changes or enroll in a plan outside of that window and those are what's
called special enrollment event or qualifying events.
The law would also allow insurers to stop paying commissions for individual coverage sold during an
ACA special enrollment period.
People who enroll in exchange plans outside of open enrollment will have to provide proof of a qualifying event, and eligibility for
special enrollment periods will be restricted in some cases.
They are very similar to the qualifying events that
trigger special enrollment periods for employer - sponsored insurance and Medicare coverage, but there are some differences.
For 2016 coverage, only Prominence continued to pay broker commissions on and off - exchange for enrollments outside of open enrollment (ie,
during special enrollment periods).
The individual market didn't
use special enrollment periods (or open enrollment periods) prior to 2014 because people could enroll anytime they wanted... but the trade - off was that in all but a few states, eligibility for coverage in the individual market depended on your medical history.
The SHOP must ensure that issuers offering QHPs through the SHOP
provide special enrollment periods consistent with the section, during which certain qualified employees or dependents of qualified employees may enroll in QHPs and enrollees may change QHPs.
In an interim final rule, published in the May 11, 2016 Federal Register (81 FR 29146), we made amendments to the parameters of
certain special enrollment periods (2016 Interim Final Rule).
CMS is also
creating special enrollment periods for people who live in hurricane areas who want to change their Medicare health or prescription drug plans or make changes to their 2017 federal health exchange plan.
As noted by commenters, non-enrollees may be determined eligible for
other special enrollment periods including that for loss of coverage.
They argue that neighborhood traditional schools should coexist alongside charter schools of choice; that charter schools should be able to benefit from
special enrollment rules, such as not admitting students midyear; and that districtwide policies in areas such as expulsion should be avoided.
That
includes special enrollment through the federal or state exchanges, short - term health care plans or COBRA, which lets employees keep their old health insurance after they leave their job.
Comment: We received one comment supporting the proposal that there not be a
SHOP special enrollment period when a qualified employee or dependent of a qualified employee is enrolled in a non-calendar year group health plan or individual health insurance coverage.
We also propose that the requirements
regarding special enrollment periods in § 155.725 (j)(3) would apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2018.
Certain changes can trigger a 30 - day special enrollment opportunity
Before we dig deeper
into Special Enrollment Periods, you first have to understand how Medicare enrollment periods work.
After weighing our options, we determined that codifying these currently
available special enrollment periods is in the best interest of consumers and other Exchange stakeholders.
In the July 15, 2011 Federal Register (76 FR 41865), we published a proposed rule
establishing special enrollment periods for the individual Health Insurance Exchange.
Although § 147.104 (b)(2)(i) is intended to specify
which special enrollment periods offered through the Exchange must also be offered by health insurance issuers with respect to coverage offered outside of an Exchange, the paragraph as currently written could be read to apply the exceptions to any coverage offered by a health insurance issuer in the individual market.
HHS denied the request for a blanket extension, but MNsure used their own authority on January 28 to grant a one -
week special enrollment period (February 1 to February 8) due to exceptional circumstances.
Comment: We received comments that requested changes to coverage effective dates for the newly
proposed special enrollment period for losing a dependent as a result of death at § 155.420 (b)(2)(vi).
This interim final rule with comment establishes provisions that alter the parameters of
select special enrollment periods and that revise certain rules governing consumer operated and oriented plans (CO-OPs).
One commenter requested that States with SBE - FPs have the flexibility to establish State -
specific special enrollment periods to address the particular needs of consumers in their State.
In cases where HHS does
verify special enrollment period enrollments, commenters requested that we conduct robust training for all individuals and entities involved in assisting consumers with enrolling in QHPs, automate the verification process to the extent possible, and monitor and collect data across a variety of enrollee characteristics and behaviors in order to better understand the populations and identify possible trends.
Changes include different dates for the annual Individual and Family Health Insurance Open Enrollment Period,
stricter Special Enrollment eligibility rules including requirements to provide proof of prior coverage.
Since open enrollment for 2015 had already ended before many Americans filed their tax returns for 2014, the government granted a one -
time special enrollment period in the spring of 2015, allowing people another chance to enroll in 2015 coverage if they had just found out about the penalty when they filed their taxes.
Phrases with «special enrollment»