Now that March 31 has come and gone, it would seem that enrollment would come to an end. However, the administration had announced prior to the deadline that there would be an extension of time for individuals who had begun the process prior to March 31 but were unable to complete it due to technical issues. These consumers are considered to be “in-line.” As a result, there is an “In-Line” Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for these consumers. Upon going to healthcare.gov, these consumers will be able to complete their application and enroll in a plan provided they attest that they attempted to enroll prior to the deadline but were unable to complete it due to technical difficulties. The administration has announced that these consumers will have until April 15 at 11:59 PM ET to complete the application and enroll in a plan. While enrollment is not complete until the first premium is paid, this premium does not need to be paid by the April 15 deadline.
In addition, there is a category of consumers who are eligible for a SEP due to a complex case. These are very unique circumstances that prevented a consumer from completing the application and enrolling in a plan such as a natural disaster, unexpected hospitalization and enrollment errors by an insurance carrier. If a consumer believes that they would qualify for a SEP, they are required to apply for this SEP through the marketplace. The marketplace will then review the request and if the SEP is granted, the consumer has 60 days to complete his or her application and enroll in a plan. To read more about SEPs for complex cases, click here to read the two page fact sheet put out by the Marketplace. This fact sheet is also available on our Resources & Links page under “Enrollment Resources – Overview.”