Getting health coverage outside Open Enrollment

When the Marketplace needs documents to confirm a Special Enrollment Period

When you apply for Marketplace coverage and qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you may be asked to provide documents to confirm the events that make you eligible. You must send the documents before you can start using your coverage.

You’ll learn if you have to provide documents after you submit your application. Details and instructions appear on your eligibility notice.
It’s best to pick a plan first and submit your documents afterwards. After you pick a plan, you have 30 days to send the documents.
Your coverage start date is based on when you pick a plan. But you can’t use your coverage until your eligibility is confirmed and you make your first premium payment.
If your eligibility notice doesn't say you need to submit documents, you don’t have to. Simply pick a plan and enroll.
Ready to upload now? Follow these steps.

Documents & deadlines for your life event

Select your life event for the documents you can submit and key dates:

If you’re losing health coverage
If you moved to a new address and had prior coverage
If you gained or became a dependent due to an adoption, foster care placement, or court order
If you got married
If you were denied Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) coverage outside Open Enrollment after you applied during it
If you newly gain access to an employer’s offer to help with the cost of coverage through either an individual coverage HRA or a QSEHRA

If you’re losing health coverage

You must send documents showing the lost coverage and the date it ends.

Acceptable documents include notices from your previous insurance company or your employer.
See a full list of acceptable documents to confirm loss of coverage.

Key dates: Special Enrollment Periods due to a coverage loss
Status of coverage loss	Pick a plan within …	Documents must be submitted within …	Coverage starts, if premium paid
Already lost coverage	60 days after date coverage ended Note: If you lost coverage more than 60 days ago, and didn’t enroll sooner because you were impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency declared by FEMA, documents must show that you lost coverage since January 1, 2020.	30 days of picking a plan	First day of month after you pick a plan
Will lose coverage in the future	60 days before date coverage will end	30 days of picking a plan	First day of month after your coverage ends and you pick a plan

If you moved to a new address and had prior coverage

You must provide documents that confirm both of these:

You moved in the last 60 days
- Acceptable documents include government correspondence, utility bills, rental or mortgage documents, and homeowner’s insurance. They must include your new address and the date of the move.
- See a full list of acceptable documents to confirm a move.
You had health coverage at least one day during the 60 days before your move
- Acceptable documents include correspondence from your insurance company, employer, or health coverage provider, like a government agency.
- See a full list of acceptable documents to confirm you had health coverage.
- Note: If you’re moving from a foreign country or U.S. territory, you don’t have to prove you had health coverage. But the documents you submit must show a move from a foreign country or U.S. territory.

Key dates: Special Enrollment Periods due to a move
Pick a plan within …	Documents must be submitted within …	Coverage starts, if premium paid
60 days after the date you moved	30 days of picking a plan	Plan picked between 1st and 15th of month: First day of next month. Plan picked between 16th and last day of month: First day of second month following plan selection.

If you gained or became a dependent due to an adoption, foster care placement, or court order

You must send documents showing the name of the person(s) who became a dependent and the date they became one.

Acceptable documents include adoption letters or records, court orders, and foster care papers.
See a full list of acceptable documents to confirm an adoption, foster care placement, or court order.

Key dates: Special Enrollment Periods due to gaining a dependent
Pick a plan within …	Documents must be submitted within …	Coverage starts, if premium paid
60 days after the event	30 days of picking a plan	Coverage will go back to the date of adoption, foster care placement, or date that the court order took effect. Need a different start date? Contact the Marketplace Call Center.

If you got married

You must send documents showing the names of the people who got married and the date of the marriage.

Acceptable documents include marriage certificates and marriage licenses.
See a full list of acceptable documents to confirm marriage.

Key dates: Special Enrollment Periods due to marriage
Pick a plan within …	Documents must be submitted within …	Coverage starts, if premium paid
60 days after marriage	30 days of picking a plan	First day of month after you pick a plan

If you were denied Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) coverage outside Open Enrollment after you applied during it

You must send documents showing the name of the person who was denied Medicaid or CHIP coverage and the date they were denied.

Acceptable documents include denial letters or a screenshot of eligibility results.
See a full list of acceptable documents to confirm a denial of Medicaid or CHIP coverage.

Special Enrollment Periods due to Medicaid/CHIP application during Open Enrollment and denial after Open Enrollment has ended
Pick a plan within …	Documents must be submitted within …	Coverage starts, if premium paid
60 days after denial	30 days of picking a plan	First day of month after you pick a plan Need a different start date? If you originally applied through the Marketplace, contact the Marketplace Call Center to request that your coverage start be moved back to the date it would have started if the Marketplace had originally determined you eligible for a Marketplace plan.

If you newly gain access to an employer’s offer to help with the cost of coverage through either an individual coverage HRA or a QSEHRA

You must send a notice from your employer showing when your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA can begin.

Key dates: Special Enrollment Periods due to gaining access to an individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA
If you got a notice from your employer …	Pick a plan within …	Documents must be submitted within …	Coverage starts, if premium paid
More than 90 days before your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA start date	60 days before your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA start date. Remember: You must pick a plan that starts no later than the date your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA begins.	30 days of picking a plan	First day of month after you pick a plan
Fewer than 90 days before your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA start date	60 days before or after your individual coverage HRA or QSEHRA start date, but if you need to enroll after, check with your employer to confirm the latest day you can enroll.	30 days of picking a plan	First day of month after you pick a plan

How to submit documents

You should provide the required documents as soon as possible after you pick a plan. This will prevent a delay in your coverage starting. You can submit documents two ways:

Upload

This is the fastest and most efficient way to get us the documents.
You’ll need to have scanned images of your documents on your computer. Clear photos of the documents are acceptable.
Document format requirements:
- Accepted formats: .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .gif, .xml, .png, .tiff, .bmp
- Maximum file size: 10MB
- File names can’t include special characters like / \ : * ? “ < > |
Once you have the documents on your computer, log in to HealthCare.gov to upload them. Follow these step-by-step instructions (PDF, 582 KB) or log in now.

Mail

Do not send original documents: send photocopies only.
Mail documents to this address:

Health Insurance Marketplace®
Attn: Supporting Documentation
465 Industrial Blvd.
London, KY 40750-0001

After you submit your documents

You should get a letter or notice in your HealthCare.gov account within a couple of weeks. It’ll say if your Special Enrollment Period has been confirmed.

If your Special Enrollment Period is confirmed:
- We’ll send the confirmation to the insurance plan you picked.
- You’ll need to pay your first premium directly to the insurance company — not to the Health Insurance Marketplace®. Your coverage won’t start until you pay your first premium.
- If confirmation delays kept you from using your plan after the coverage start date, you may have to pay premiums for one or more previous months. When you do, medical expenses you had after the start date may be covered. This is called “retroactive” coverage.
If your Special Enrollment Period can’t be confirmed using the submitted documents:
- You’ll get a letter or notice in your Marketplace account explaining why.
- You can upload one or more different documents to confirm.
- If you don’t have any of the acceptable documents, you can send a written statement explaining why. Learn more about what to include in the statement.

Select an article