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What are Qualifying Life Events?

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Written by Rachel Guo
Updated this week

Qualifying Life Events are specific life changes that let someone enroll in or change Marketplace coverage outside the Open Enrollment Period. They usually fall into two main groups:

Losing Coverage

  • Losing your employer-sponsored coverage

  • Employer dropping coverage

  • Losing Medicaid or CHIP eligibility

  • Turning 26 and losing a parent’s plan

  • Moving or relocating and losing coverage as a result

  • COBRA expiring

Life Events

  • Having a baby (event is for the infant only)

  • Becoming a U.S. citizen

  • Getting married

  • Getting divorced and losing coverage

  • Getting out of prison or jail

  • Adopting a child (event is for the child only)

  • Placing a child for adoption

  • Gaining status as a member of a federally recognized tribe

This is a summary of the most common Qualifying Life Events. For timing rules and the full list of qualifying events and special situations, visit HealthCare.gov.

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