Does Moving Qualify Someone For Enrollment?
My daughter who is 28 years old is teaching English abroad. She comes back to the U.S. in July, 2015. Will she be able to sign up for Obamacare when she returns?
Answer
Moving qualifies someone for a special enrollment period. They have 60 days from the life event to enroll in a plan, and are exempt from the fee for that time. You can typically enroll early to ensure that your new plan starts as close to your move date as possible (make sure your old plan is set to cancel for when the new one starts to avoid both double playing and a gap in coverage).
A move qualifies you for special enrollment if your access to plans changes as a result of the move.
Plans are usually based on region. So technically a change of address in the same state (even close by) could trigger the event and a move out-of-state should always trigger the event. It doesn't matter where in the U.S. you move as long as your plan options change.
That being said for the purposes of Medicaid, not all states offer Medicaid coverage to all adults so be aware of that aspect if moving out of state. (Find out what state's expanded Medicaid here)
Also each state has a different "second lowest cost silver plan". Second lowest cost silver plans are what tax credits are based on, so you'll actually qualify for slightly different assistance amounts depending upon your state. Also, the "lowest cost bronze plan" is what the maximum fee is based on, different states will have different lowest cost bronze plans.
Answer Rating:
Need more details. What moves qualify? To a new city in the same state? A new state?
A move qualifies if your access to plans changes as a result of the move. Plans are usually based on region. So this could be a change of address in the same state or out-of-state. It doesn’t matter where in the U.S. you move as long as your plan options change.
We updated the answer to clarify a few other things as well. Thanks for brining this up and helping us to make the information better!