Open enrollment for 2024 health insurance plans is happening now. This is a once-a-year opportunity to purchase health insurance or make changes to your existing health plan.
With open enrollment ending on January 15, 2023, in most states, time is running out to get 2024 health coverage. Don’t wait – read this guide to learn everything you need to know about open enrollment and choose the ideal health plan for you and your family.
What is Health Insurance Open Enrollment?
Health insurance open enrollment is the period each year when you can:
- Sign up for a health insurance plan
- Switch to a different health plan
- Add or remove family members from your existing health plan
For plans from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance marketplace, open enrollment this year runs from November 1, 2023, through January 15, 2024, in most states.
To get coverage starting January 1st, you must enroll by December 15th. If you enroll between December 16th and January 15th, your coverage will begin on February 1st.
Open enrollment gives you the chance to re-evaluate your health insurance options. Even if you’re happy with your current health plan, it’s recommended to shop around. Health insurance plans and costs can change year-to-year. Comparing all of your options could save you money.
Outside of open enrollment, you typically can only change health plans if you have a qualifying life event like getting married, moving, or losing other health coverage.
When is Open Enrollment for 2024 Health Insurance?
The open enrollment period for 2024 health plans runs from November 1, 2023, to January 15, 2024, in most states.
This enrollment window applies to health insurance plans purchased on the federal and state-based ACA health insurance marketplaces.
To have coverage start on January 1st, 2024, you must select a plan by December 15, 2023. If you miss that deadline, you can still enroll until January 15th, but your plan would not start until February 1st.
A few states have different open enrollment periods for 2024 coverage:
- California: November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024
- Kentucky: November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024
- Massachusetts: November 1, 2023 – January 23, 2024
- New Jersey: November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024
- New York: November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024
- Rhode Island: November 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024
- Washington, DC: November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024
Some states also extend open enrollment deadlines if January 15th falls on a holiday or weekend. So be sure to confirm the exact open enrollment dates for your state.
If you have health insurance through your employer, your open enrollment period will depend on your company’s policies, not the federal marketplace schedule. Check with your employer to find out when you can enroll or make changes to that health plan.
How to Enroll in 2024 Health Insurance
Enrolling in a 2024 health plan will be different depending on if you are signing up for the first time or re-enrolling in marketplace coverage.
Here are the steps to take for open enrollment:
If you are new to the health insurance marketplace:
- Determine if your income level qualifies you for savings on health coverage. Tax credits and other savings are available for individuals earning up to $51,520 per year.
- Visit HealthCare.gov and create an account. Provide your name, contact information, and Social Security Number.
- Shop and compare 2024 health plans in your state. HealthCare.gov will show you all the options, along with estimated prices based on your income, household size, and location.
- Choose a 2024 health insurance plan by December 15th for coverage starting January 1st. Or pick a plan between December 16th and January 15th for coverage beginning February 1st.
- Pay your first monthly premium payment to your insurance company to activate coverage.
If you are re-enrolling in marketplace coverage:
- Log into your HealthCare.gov account and review your existing application information. Update any changes to income, household members, or other details.
- Compare different health plan options for 2024 and decide if you want to keep your current plan or switch plans.
- To keep your current health plan, don’t take any action. Your plan will automatically renew for 2024.
- To change plans, select a new 2024 health plan by December 15th for January 1st coverage. Pick a new plan between December 16th and January 15th for February 1st coverage.
- Pay your first new premium payment to activate the 2024 coverage.
In most states, current enrollees who take no action will be automatically re-enrolled in their same or similar plan. But it’s still recommended to actively re-enroll and shop for plans to ensure you have the best coverage and cost.
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Where to Enroll in Marketplace Health Insurance
Where you enroll in individual health insurance depends on your state:
- 34 states use the federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov. So residents enroll through this main site.
- 16 states and Washington, D.C., run their own state-based marketplaces for enrollment.
If your state uses its own marketplace, you cannot enroll through HealthCare.gov. Below are links to the marketplace sites in these 16 states and Washington, D.C.:
- Access Health CT (Connecticut)
- Covered California (California)
- Connect for Health Colorado (Colorado)
- DC Health Link (Washington, D.C.)
- HealthSource RI (Rhode Island)
- Idaho Health Insurance Marketplace (Idaho)
- Maryland Health Connection (Maryland)
- Massachusetts Health Connector (Massachusetts)
- MinnesotaCare (Minnesota)
- Nevada Health Link (Nevada)
- New York State of Health (New York)
- Pennie (Pennsylvania)
- CoverNJ (New Jersey)
- Washington Health Benefit Exchange (Washington)
- Your Health Idaho (Idaho)
- healthinsurance.org (Kentucky)
Use the health insurance marketplace for your state to compare 2024 health plans and enroll in coverage.
Choosing a 2024 Marketplace Health Insurance Plan
When evaluating 2024 health insurance options in the marketplace, there are a few key factors to consider:
Metal Tiers
Marketplace insurance plans are categorized into four metal tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. These tiers are based on how you and your insurer divide costs:
- Bronze: You pay the most out of pocket for care. Monthly premiums are low.
- Silver: The midpoint for sharing costs with your insurer. Marketplace tax credits apply to Silver plans only.
- Gold: You pay less for care but have higher monthly premiums.
- Platinum: The highest premiums with the lowest out-of-pocket costs when getting care.
Silver and Bronze plans tend to be the most popular options for balancing premium costs and coverage.
When comparing plans, look closely at the deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket costs to understand your potential costs for healthcare services.
Also, look at the monthly premium cost. Even plans within the same metal tier can have varying premium prices.
Doctor and Hospital Coverage
A key factor in choosing a health plan is making sure your preferred doctors and local hospitals are included in the plan’s network.
Each health insurer has its own network. Before enrolling, use the plan’s online provider search tool to look up your current healthcare providers and confirm they are in-network.
If a provider is out-of-network, you will pay much more for any medical care from them. Try to choose a plan with your main doctors and hospital covered in-network.
Prescription Drug Coverage
If you take any prescription medicines, review the health plan’s prescription drug coverage details. Formularies can vary in terms of which medications are covered and at what cost tier.
Make sure your specific prescriptions, especially higher cost ones, are included in the plan’s formulary. Also look at the amount of copays or coinsurance you would pay for each drug tier.
Tax Credits and Savings
One of the biggest benefits of marketplace plans is the potential savings through advanced premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.
Tax credits lower your actual monthly premium payment. Cost-sharing reductions save you money when getting medical services by reducing deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.
To qualify for these savings, your household income must be between 100-400% of the federal poverty level. For example, up to $51,520 per year for an individual or $106,000 for a family of four.
When shopping for 2024 health plans in the marketplace, be sure to find out if you qualify for these savings and apply any estimated tax credits. The actual amount of tax credit you receive will be reconciled when you file your 2024 tax return.
Additional Benefits
Some health plans may offer extra benefits beyond basic coverage for doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospital care. For example:
- Dental and vision coverage
- Gym membership reimbursement
- Wellness program rewards
These types of extra benefits are not required from marketplace health plans. But they can add value if the particular benefits appeal to your healthcare needs and lifestyle.
Weigh the total costs against the benefits when choosing a 2024 Marketplace health insurance plan. Make sure to enroll by the deadline for the coverage effective date you want.
Special Enrollment Periods
Outside of open enrollment, you may still have the option to sign up for 2024 health insurance or make plan changes by qualifying for a special enrollment period (SEP).
SEPs allow you to get marketplace coverage if you experience certain life events, like:
- Losing employer health coverage
- Losing Medicaid/CHIP coverage
- Getting married or divorced
- Having a baby or adopting a child
- Moving to a new home in a new ZIP code or county
- Other changes in household size
You typically have 60 days from the event date to enroll in a marketplace plan under an SEP. Coverage will begin on the first day of the next month, after choosing a plan.
Some of the most common qualifying life events for an SEP include:
- Job loss: Losing health coverage from an employer plan triggers an SEP. You can enroll in marketplace coverage instead.
- Move: Relocating to a new home in a new ZIP code or county allows you to enroll in a health plan in your new area.
- Marriage: Getting married allows you to add your new spouse to your existing plan or enroll together in a new plan.
- Birth/adoption: Having or adopting a baby permits you to add the child to your current health plan or enroll them in a new plan.
- Divorce: After a divorce, you can drop your former spouse from your health plan or select a new individual plan.
- Age: Turning 26 means you can no longer stay on a parent’s health plan. But you can enroll in your own marketplace coverage.
- Immigration status change: Gaining U.S. citizenship or a qualifying immigration status allows enrollment in a marketplace plan.
- Medicaid denial: Getting denied Medicaid coverage or losing Medicaid eligibility allows you to enroll in private health insurance.
- Income change: A change in household income could make you newly eligible for tax credits and other savings.
- Move from public health plan: Losing CHIP, Medicare, or TRICARE coverage due to a move or eligibility change may create an SEP.
When you experience an eligible event, submit documentation to HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace quickly to take advantage of the 60 day special enrollment window.
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Avoiding Coverage Gaps Between Plans
One important goal when enrolling in marketplace plans is to avoid gaps in your health coverage. Going without insurance, even briefly, could expose you to financial risk if you need medical care.
Here are some tips to prevent lapses when transitioning between health plans:
- Carefully track open enrollment deadlines. Sign up in time for your new coverage to begin on January 1st or February 1st.
- Pay your first new premium payment quickly to ensure your new plan activates on schedule.
- If switching employer plans, ask your company about how new enrollment and termination dates coordinate.
- When moving between marketplace and employer coverage, avoid overlapping plans if possible. Cancel the old policy only when new coverage starts.
- After major life events create special enrollment periods, enroll right away so new coverage starts promptly.
- When in doubt, call your insurer to confirm effective dates and discuss options if you missed key deadlines due to extenuating circumstances.
Build in some buffer room of a few days between termination and activation of plans. Also, be cautious about voluntarily terminating coverage too far ahead of beginning new coverage.
To Recap
The open enrollment period for 2024 health plans is happening right now but ends January 15th in most states. Take time to evaluate your options and choose the right insurance for next year.
Log into HealthCare.gov soon and shop the marketplace plans available in your area. If eligible, apply any advanced premium tax credits to lower your costs.
Carefully compare plan benefits, provider networks, prescription coverage, and total estimated costs to select your best option.
Enroll by the deadline for the effective date you want – either December 15th for January 1st coverage or January 15th for a February 1st start date.
Solid health insurance is a key component of overall wellbeing. Make this open enrollment count by finding coverage that fits your needs and budget today!
FAQs about Marketplace Open Enrollment
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about health insurance open enrollment:
When is open enrollment for 2024 health insurance plans?
For individual health plans sold on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, open enrollment this year runs from November 1, 2023, to January 15, 2024, in most states. Some states have extended enrollment periods.
What is the deadline to enroll in 2024 health coverage?
To have your 2024 health plan start on January 1st, you must enroll by December 15, 2023, in most states. If you enroll between December 16th and January 15th, your coverage will begin on February 1st, 2024.
Where do I sign up for health insurance?
If your state uses the federal marketplace, enroll at HealthCare.gov. For state-run marketplaces, use your state’s enrollment website. You can find state marketplace links earlier in this guide.
Can I get an extension if I miss open enrollment?
Outside of open enrollment, you must have a qualifying life event for a special enrollment period. Losing other coverage, getting married, moving, or having a baby are examples. Otherwise, you cannot enroll until the next open enrollment period.
Does open enrollment apply to employer health plans?
No, employer plan enrollment is handled separately. Check with your company about their open enrollment period for making changes to that health coverage.
How do I know if I qualify for savings on marketplace plans?
Visit HealthCare.gov and enter details on income, household size, and location to see if you qualify for advanced premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions to lower your healthcare costs.
What is the penalty if I don’t have health insurance?
Currently, there is no federal tax penalty for being uninsured. But a few states still require their residents to maintain health coverage.
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