If I Quit My Job Do I Qualify For Special Enrollment?
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Would I be eligible for any type of special enrollment circumstances if I have health insurance with my employer but quit my job voluntarily and/or retire?
Tony Jacobs
I had As Coverage as Ivwas not a full time employee. I voluntarily resigned just 8 days after I was eligible for employer sponsored insurance. I still had ACA coverage. I did not enroll in company plan due to short notice of eligibility. Do I lose my ACA eligibility that I previously had in effect or do I have to re-enroll?
ObamaCareFacts.com
I would think that you would still qualify for marketplace assistance for the year. Technically you don’t qualify for each month in which you have access to employer coverage, but here you didn’t have even a full month to get employer-based coverage. So logically you should be OK.
That said, there must be a very specific rule, in terms of finding out the specifics for sure, this is a good question to direct to the official health insurance marketplace HealthCare.gov. 🙂
randy
if my wife quits her job can we keep the insurance and just pay for it
ObamaCareFacts.com
In general, no. You can contact the insurer and ask them for direction though.
Walter Moran
I am retiring on March 31, 2017 and will have medical coverage until March 31 so I would like to enroll for medical insurance effective April 1, 2017; however, the Obamacare application does not allow one to apply now in January for an April 1 start date. Most plans become effective within 30 days of application. Looks like it’s too early to apply but the deadline is January 31 for 2017 enrollment. Can you help?
Erin
You will qualify for a special enrollment period, but HHS has also announced new requirements to provide documentation proving eligibility for a Special Enrollment period. So call the Marketplace soon and ask them what you will need to prove Special enrollment and ask if you can sign up for a plan to start April 1st. If not, you’ll qualify for a short coverage gap of 3 months or less each year without being penalized or you can pay for COBRA to extend your employers coverage for a month while you get enrolled in the Marketplace.
Jeff
i resigned from my employer as of 12/08/2016. when does my medical coverage stop? I was employed by NYS. My new job medical insurance doesnt start until after a 90 day probation period. What should i do to continue to have medical insurance for my family until my new jobs insurance is effective?
Erin
You will need to ask your old employer or the insurer that they enrolled you in when the coverage ends. Some employer sponsored insurance ends the day you leave that employer and some end at the end of that month.
Switching employer plans after changing jobs can be frustrating. Luckily, everyone gets a 3 month or less short-term coverage gap exemption when they file taxes. Also, timing is everything. You are considered covered for the entire month, if you were covered for at least one day during that month. So, if your employer coverage from a previous job or through the marketplace covered you through the end of the month during the month you changed jobs (this is common) and your 90 day wait at your new job ends in the middle of a month, you may end up with only 1 or 2 months that you were “uninsured” with regards to the Affordable Care Act. If you are going to hit the three full months without coverage because of a job change, consider paying for COBRA for at least 1 month to shorten the coverage gap.
As long as the coverage gap is a consecutive 3 months or less, you will simple report exemption Code B on tax form 8965
Another option is to sign up for Marketplace insurance for the months you are not being offered employer insurance. Changing jobs is a qualifying event and you will get a special enrollment period, so you can sign up even outside of the normal Open Enrollment Period. You will need to update the marketplace once you are eligible for an employer sponsored plan at your new employer or you could end up owing back Premium Tax Credits that you weren’t eligible for when you file your year end taxes. Essentially, you are not offered employer sponsored coverage for 90 days and therefore, you would check “no” when the Marketplace asks if you are eligible for employer sponsored coverage during that period of time.
Angela
My company insurance has doubled. It covers my husband and I. I am going to resign. He is self-employed and I am going to get a part time job. Will we be able to get 2 separate insurance plans and if/when can I enroll? Can I find out prices ahead of time?
Erin
If you are no longer going to have employer insurance available to you, then you and your husband will be able to apply for Marketplace insurance together and be eligible for cost assistance. The process for filing for premium tax credits separately when married is a bit cumbersome, so I wouldn’t recommend going that route unless you are confident that it is the best option (an accountant or tax preparer would be the best way to find out what would work best for your family specifically). Because your husband is self-employed, all the premiums paid for covering him and his family are tax deductible so long as you aren’t eligible for an employer sponsored health plan. When you leave your job and you are no longer eligible for the employer sponsored plan then you will also have a special enrollment period to apply for marketplace coverage even if it is outside of the normal Open Enrollment Period.
JM
Just need some clarification, please.
Is this also required (by federal law) to apply to private company’s that provide insurance? For example, my wife quit her job (private company) to take another job (her last day was several weeks ago). Her insurance was cancelled by the former company. Her insurance at the new job doesn’t kick in until December (she started that job around two-weeks ago). I want to add her to my insurance (with Anthem BC/BS), but was told by our HR person that: “Sadly, resignations that are voluntary aren’t a ‘Qualifying Life Event.’ Therefore, Anthem doesn’t allow an addition to the policy, unless it is Open Enrollment.” This is counter to what I’m seeing on this page. Is my HR person incorrect, or does this definition of “Qualifying Life Event” only apply to insurance received through ACA?
Patrick Kearns
Exactly what I was looking for. The DC Health Exchange site could lead you to believe that you’re not eligible if you leave a job voluntarily.
Afam
If I left my job which I currently have mine and my 2 children’s health insurance with would my wife’s work allow us to change her coverage under the Special Enrollment?
sam
My employer don’t offer me health insurance coverage so I enrolled to Health insurance plan through the marketplace and they told me I will have to file tax at the end of the year for a specific amount. now I got fired and won’t be able to file tax for that same specific amount because I’m unemployed now, and still have some health issues. what should I do? and what to do so I don’t get penalty for not filing tax for that amount? and should I apply for medicaid? please advise!
Susan rivers
I have an upcoming medical procedure. I work. I signed for special enrollment period by quitting job. What if I didn’t quit job right now?
ObamaCareFacts.com
You have to lose coverage for special enrollment to work. You have a personal decision here. You have medical needs so you’ll need an employer plan or the marketplace one likely. I’d never suggest that someone not work, so I’d check that avenue first. You can cancel the marketplace plan, but you MUST ensure you have coverage first.
Jenny Kay
Can you only start marketplace coverage on the first of the month? I was planning to resign mid month and anticipate my boss will want me to work until the end of the month. But what if they want a longer transition period? Can I revise the start date of marketplace coverage as needed?
ObamaCareFacts.com
You would have to coordinate that with the marketplace or your insurer. It isn’t always flexible to the day, it is usually better to overlap coverage than leave a gap.
Obama Supporter happy with his policies
Perfect answer
hitesh
If I quit my job, am I eligible for special enrollment for health insurance after 31 January deadline?
ObamaCareFacts.com
If you lose employer coverage for any reason you can enroll in special enrollment. The ACA helps eliminate “job lock” but not forcing employees to keep a job they don’t want due to coverage. That provision probably doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
Matt
I left my job January 29, 2016…So what you’re saying is I have 30 days minimum to find a plan and not get fined?
ObamaCareFacts.com
So I realized I had a type-o on the page (it’s corrected).
Max window is 60 days from when you get dropped, 30 if returning to work and enrolling in an employer’s plan via special enrollment. So from the 29th you have 60 days. The advice to others is to start 30 days early to give yourself an effective three months… but the best advice is to get started ASAP by calling healthcare.gov.
Beckie
This make makes no sense shouldnt it read 30 days after leaving a job to enroll how/why would I enroll before my job ends if i still had my old health insurance.
ObamaCareFacts.com
To clarify you would enroll before your job ended with coverage starting for when your old coverage ends.
For example: Enroll on Jan 2nd for coverage that starts on Feb 1st. This way you don’t get a lapse in coverage. Coverage always takes at least 15 days to kick in. You need to enroll before the 15th of the month for coverage starting on the 1st.
larry buckley
i quit my job last week, originally had coventry insurance, now…not sure if i have any….meanwhile, im with out a job, untill i am hired month, how ever my new job coming up, does not have any insurance…how soon can i qualify….and what would be the cost…please advise…thank you
James O'Brien
Exactly what I was looking for plus more