Health Insurance Marketplace Enrollment Key Dates

3 Key dates you'll want to mark on your calendar:

October 1, 2013: Marketplace open enrollment starts
January 1, 2013: Health coverage can start
March 31, 2014: Marketplace open enrollment ends

  • If you enroll in private health insurance plan any time between October 1, 2013 and December 15, 2013 and make your first premium payment, your new health coverage starts January 1, 2014.

  • During the rest of open enrollment, if you enroll between the 1st and 15th day of the month and pay your premium, your coverage begins the first day of the next month. So if you enroll on February 10, 2014, your coverage begins March 1, 2014.

  • If you enroll between the 16th and the last day of the month and pay your premium, your effective date of coverage will be the first day of the second following month. So if you enroll on February 16, 2014, your coverage starts on April 1, 2014.

  • Open enrollment for 2014 health insurance coverage closes on March 31, 2014. Be sure to visit the Marketplace and enroll in a plan before this date.

After March 31, 2014, you can get new private health plan insurance for 2014 only through a special enrollment period if you have a qualifying life event like a job loss, birth, or divorce.

The Health Insurance Marketplace is just for people who need to buy private health insurance. If you have insurance through Medicare that coverage is separate from the marketplace. Open enrollment for Medicare is October 15 - December 7, 2013.

It's time to learn about the health care law.
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