On August 22, 2025, a federal judge in Maryland issued an injunction temporarily stopping implementation of seven provisions of the new marketplace rule. See New Laws and Policies for more information. The following resource describes the provisions in the regulation without respect to the injunction.
Generally, people can only enroll in a marketplace plan or switch plans on HealthCare.gov during the annual open enrollment period. But people who experience certain life events during the year are able to newly enroll in a plan or switch plans outside of open enrollment through a special enrollment period (SEP).
This reference chart is a comprehensive guide to SEPs. It covers the circumstances that trigger a SEP in the marketplace, the eligibility criteria for various SEPs, and the effective date of coverage once a health plan is selected.
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