Open enrollment for South Carolina residents under the Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” ended on March 31st 2014! The additional extended enrollment time for individuals who had technical difficulties ended on Tuesday April 15, 2014. HOWEVER, many South Carolina Residents may still qualify for a “Special Election Period” or SEP, which allows you to enroll in a plan when you have a “Qualifying Life Event” or QLE.
The following are examples of QLE’s that may qualify you to enroll in a new health coverage:
- Marriage, having a baby, adopting a child or placing a child for adoption or foster care, moving outside your insurer’s coverage area, gaining citizenship, leaving incarceration
- Gaining status as member of an Indian tribe. Members of federally recognized Indian tribes can sign up for or change plans once per month throughout the year.
- For people already enrolled in Marketplace coverage: Having a change in income or household status that affects eligibility for premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions
- Losing other health coverage—due to losing job-based coverage, divorce, the end of an individual policy plan year in 2014, COBRA expiration, aging off a parent’s plan, losing eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP, and similar circumstances. Important: Voluntarily ending coverage doesn’t qualify you for a special enrollment period. Neither does losing coverage that doesn’t qualify as minimum essential coverage.
Contact us today if you think you may have a Qualifying Life Event or a Special Election Period -we CAN HELP!