You’ve probably heard the term “Open Enrollment.” But what exactly is Open Enrollment and why should you care? Here’s a short guide to the most common questions about Open Enrollment.
TLDR: The one time of year you can buy or change your health insurance! We’ve partnered with Catch to help you shop and secure coverage this Open Enrollment.
What is Open Enrollment?
The Open Enrollment Period, more commonly known as OEP, is the one time of year that you can buy or change your health insurance. If you don’t buy health insurance during OEP, you will not be able to purchase until OEP the following year unless you experience a Qualifying Life Event. If you already have health insurance, this still applies to you! This is the one time of year you can change your plan.
Who Does Open Enrollment Apply To?
Americans ages 18 to 64 will need to purchase their own health insurance if they don’t already have coverage from an employer, a spouse or parent’s employer, TRICARE, the VA, or Medicare.
This insurance can be purchased through either federal or state marketplaces, depending on where you live. We’ve partnered with Catch to help you navigate this process: simply enter your zip code, pick your plan and they’ll help you assist you through the rest.
When is Open Enrollment?
Open Enrollment begins on November 1, 2024, and ends on January 15, 2025 in most states.
In most states, December 15 is the deadline to get a plan that takes effect January 1; enrollments completed in the latter half of December and the first half of January take effect February 1 instead.
What are the Open Enrollment Deadlines for State-Run Exchanges?
Some states choose to use their own exchanges instead of the federal platform, known as HealthCare.gov. Catch works with both the federal and state exchanges to give you a one-stop shopping experience: if your state operates its own exchange, Catch will automatically identify this, provide instructions on how to enroll, and assist you through the process.
Some states that run their own exchanges set their own enrollment deadlines. Most of these state-run exchanges choose to follow the same November 1 – January 15 schedule that HealthCare.gov uses. But some have opted for different schedules. Here are the open enrollment windows for 2025 coverage:
Alabama November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Alaska November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Arizona November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Arkansas November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
California November 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025
Colorado November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Connecticut November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Delaware November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
District of Columbia November 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025
Florida November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Georgia November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Hawaii November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Idaho October 15, 2024 – December 16, 2024
Illinois November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Indiana November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Iowa November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Kansas November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Kentucky November 1, 2024 – January 16, 2025
Louisiana November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Maine November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Maryland November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Massachusetts November 1, 2024 – January 23, 2025
Michigan November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Minnesota November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Mississippi November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Missouri November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Montana November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Nebraska November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Nevada November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
New Hampshire November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
New Jersey November 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025
New Mexico November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
New York November 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025
North Carolina November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
North Dakota November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Ohio November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Oklahoma November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Oregon November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Pennsylvania November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Rhode Island November 1, 2024 – January 31, 2025
South Carolina November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
South Dakota November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Tennessee November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Texas November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Utah November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Vermont November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Virginia November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Washington November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
West Virginia November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Wisconsin November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Wyoming November 1, 2024 – January 15, 2025
Why Does Open Enrollment Exist?
In a word: stability. If Open Enrollment didn’t exist, when would you buy health insurance? Most likely when you got sick or injured, right? Well, OEP restricts when you can buy health insurance in order to maintain a needed balance for health insurance companies. By constraining the time period in which you can purchase health insurance, the amount of money going into and coming out of insurance companies’ pockets remains relatively balanced. This allows insurance companies to maintain a balanced pool of sick and healthy people, keeping the marketplaces stable.
The amount individuals pay in premiums works to counteract the money insurance companies are paying out towards claims. If people could sign up for insurance at any point, this balance wouldn’t exist and would cause an unhealthy disruption within the health insurance industry.
What If I Already Have A Plan From Last Year?
If you purchased health insurance last year, you’ll most likely be automatically re-enrolled for that plan next year. This is called a “passive renewal.” However, it isn’t guaranteed.
Double-checking that you’ve been re-enrolled in coverage and reviewing your plan options for the coming year is considered a good practice. This is called an “active renewal.”
However, if your plan has been discontinued, you’ll likely need to select a brand-new one.
Likewise, if your income has changed, you may be eligible for more savings. You will also want to confirm your doctors and prescriptions are still covered, as these things can change throughout the plan year.
What Can I Expect For Open Enrollment?
New tax credits are making health insurance more affordable.
President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) into law on March 11th, 2021. This law increases eligibility for tax credits that reduce health insurance premiums. After applying these tax credits, four out of five people will be able to find a plan for $10 or less/month, and over half will be able to find a Silver plan for $10 or less.
You can upgrade your plan for less.
Don’t let your old plan automatically re-enroll without research. One in four of those with marketplace plans will be able to upgrade to a plan with lower out-of-pocket costs.
You will still get just as much value from your plan.
Plans will continue to cover all the essential health benefits you’d look for in a health plan. Plans are required to continue covering things like emergency services, preventative care, prescription drugs, and more.
Where Can I Get Health Insurance?
Sittercity has partnered directly with Catch to help sitters get access to the coverage they deserve. Catch is an official partner of HealthCare.gov as well as each state exchange, and will help you get enrolled in coverage wherever you live. Their services are offered to sitters completely free of charge.
We highly advise using free services like Catch or your state’s certified enrollment assisters as you apply for coverage. The application process can be very complex and these services can simplify the process meaningfully and make sure you get (and stay!) covered through the year.
