A qualifying life event can open a Special Enrollment Period to get or change Health Insurance Marketplace (ACA) coverage outside Open Enrollment. Here's exactly what applies when you make a permanent move.
Quick answer: A permanent move that gives you access to new Marketplace plans opens a Special Enrollment Period. You have 60 days from your move to enroll — but you generally must have had qualifying coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before you moved.
Enroll in a Marketplace plan offered where you now live and apply for premium tax credits based on your income. A move only qualifies if it actually changes the plans or premiums available to you — a move to a new address with the exact same plans may not trigger an SEP.
Coverage typically starts the first day of the month after you pick a plan. On the Federal Marketplace you generally are not required to submit documents to confirm a permanent-move SEP, though your Marketplace may still ask.
People who move to a new home in a new area — across state lines, to a new county, or to a new ZIP code — where different Marketplace plans are offered. A move only for medical treatment or a temporary stay (like vacation) does not count as a permanent move.
The official HealthCare.gov screener walks through your situation in a few questions and tells you if a Special Enrollment Period is open — free, no obligation.
Check on HealthCare.gov →A permanent move to a new state or county that changes the Marketplace plans available to you opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period. On the Federal Marketplace you generally must also have had qualifying coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move — unless you moved from a foreign country or U.S. territory.
For a Federal-Marketplace move SEP you usually need to have had qualifying coverage for at least one day during the 60 days before you moved. The exception is moving from a foreign country or a U.S. territory, where prior coverage is not required. Other life events (like losing coverage) may open a separate window if the move alone doesn't qualify.
Use the free tools to organize your records and confirm details against current official documents.
See the ACA Health Agent Tracker for free →These windows are based on U.S. government Health Insurance Marketplace rules: