ACA · Special Enrollment
Special Enrollment
Lost coverage? Got married? You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Qualifying life events
Outside the annual ACA Open Enrollment window (November 1 – January 31 in NJ), you can only enroll in or change a marketplace plan if you have a Qualifying Life Event. Most QLEs open a 60-day Special Enrollment Period (SEP) from the date of the event.
The most common QLEs in NJ:
- Losing existing health coverage (job loss, COBRA running out, aging off a parent's plan at 26)
- Getting married or divorced
- Having a baby, adopting, or fostering a child
- Moving to a new ZIP code or county
- Becoming a U.S. citizen
- Significant income change that affects subsidy eligibility
You'll need to provide documentation (termination letter, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.). We help you prepare it and submit through Get Covered NJ.