The Affordable Care Act’s Open Enrollment period is the one time of the year when any person can enroll in health insurance. You do not need to have a qualifying event to enroll during Open Enrollment. During Open Enrollment, you can shop for an insurance policy that meets your needs. You will either shop for insurance through your employer or on HealthCare.gov opens in a new tab , the official government portal for purchasing health insurance.
Be aware of scammers who may try to impersonate HealthCare.gov opens in a new tab . If you search for “health insurance open enrollment” online, make sure you’re choosing the official HealthCare.gov opens in a new tab website. The list of relevant websites that match your search terms are often advertisements and may be labeled “Ad” or “Sponsored” — these are not HealthCare.gov opens in a new tab . The HealthCare.gov opens in a new tab web address will end in a “.gov” — which means it is an official government site. If you do not meet the income requirements to qualify for advance premium tax credits (APTC) opens in a new tab , you are encouraged to contact a reputable insurance carrier directly. This may lead to a lower premium.
It is important to note that the Affordable Care Act’s Open Enrollment period is different from Medicare Open Enrollment and Medicaid opens in a new tab .