Qualifying events
You may be eligible to enroll or make a change to your plan any time of the year. Find out if you can shop today.
If you’re shopping for medical coverage, we require proof of your qualifying life events. Register for a secure account and upload the document.
If you are not eligible, you can apply during the next open enrollment period.
If you’re shopping for dental or vision coverage, you can shop any time.
Required documentation for special enrollment period
A special enrollment period (SEP) is a 60-day period during which an eligible individual may enroll in an individual plan or change from one plan to another as a result of one of the following triggering events:
- Loss of minimum essential coverage or loss of federal program eligibility.
- Gaining or becoming a dependent.
- Access to new individual plan due to permanent move.
- Change in eligibility for on-exchange coverage—losing advance premium tax credit (APTC) or cost-sharing eligibility only.
- Enrollment or plan error.
- Domestic abuse or spousal abandonment.
- Individual Coverage HRA (ICHRA).
If changing from one plan to another, the individual must stay within the same metal level of coverage as their current plan offering.
The list below are examples of events and documentation. It is not a complete list.
Loss of coverage
Loss of coverage
Eligible effective date: first day of the month following enrollment
You may qualify for this SEP if you or anyone in your household lost qualifying health coverage in the past 60 days or expects to lose coverage in the next 60 days.
Your submitted documentation must include:
- proof of loss of coverage and
- proof showing the date you lost coverage and
- proof of the reason you lost coverage.
A loss of coverage due to nonpayment of premium, fraud, or misrepresentation shall not be a qualifying event unless it was committed by the employer. In addition, voluntary dropping of other coverage is not a qualifying event.
Example event |
Example documentation |
|---|---|
|
Legal separation |
Legal documentation and document from previous insurance company showing termination with date |
|
Divorce |
Divorce decree and document from previous insurance company showing termination with date |
|
Child loses dependent status |
Document from previous insurance company showing termination with date |
|
Death of an employee or policyholder |
Death certificate |
| Exhaustion of COBRA continuation coverage |
COBRA exhaustion letter |
|
Losing employer coverage |
Letter from employer on letterhead |
| Losing government coverage |
Letter from previous insurance company |
Gaining or becoming a dependent
Gaining or becoming a dependent
Eligible effective date for gaining or becoming a dependent through marriage, common law marriage, civil union partner, or domestic partner: First day of month following enrollment
Eligible effective date for gaining or becoming a dependent through birth or adoption: The date of birth, adoption or placement for adoption
Your submitted documentation must include:
- proof of gaining or becoming a dependent and
- proof showing the date of gaining or becoming a dependent and
- proof of previous minimum essential coverage for marriage or partnerships.
One individual in each marriage/partnership must have had minimum essential coverage for one or more days in the 60 days preceding their marriage/partnership. Exceptions are for individuals living outside of the United States or in a United States territory.
Example event |
Example documentation |
|---|---|
|
Marriage (includes same sex spouses) |
Copy of marriage license and copy of ID card or letter from previous insurance company that shows someone had prior coverage |
|
Domestic partner |
Copy of certificate of domestic partnership and copy of ID card or letter from previous insurance company that shows someone had prior coverage |
|
Birth |
Birth certificate |
|
Child placed for adoption or legally adopted |
Documentation from state-approved and accredited adoption agency naming the child as being formally placed for adoption with name of prospective parents |
|
Child placed in foster care |
Documentation from an authorized government body or agency naming the policyholder as the foster parent |
Permanent Move to Capital Blue Cross Service Area
Permanent move To Capital Blue Cross service area
Eligible effective date: First day of the month following enrollment
Your submitted documentation must include:
- date of the move from another state or country and
- proof of prior residence in another state or country and
- proof of residence in our 21-county service area and
- proof of previous minimum essential coverage.
Individuals must have minimum essential coverage for one or more days in the 60 days preceding the permanent move. Exceptions are for individuals living outside of the United States or in a United States territory. There is also an exception for individuals who were previously incarcerated (within 60 days), or an individual who was in a coverage gap in a non-Medicaid expansion state prior to the permanent move. Moving only for medical treatment or residence for vacation are not qualifications for a special enrollment period.
Example event |
Example documentation |
|---|---|
|
Move to Capital Blue Cross service area |
Proof of residence with previous address and current address by providing:
Proof of prior minimum essential coverage by providing:
|
Change on-exchange coverage
Loss of advance premium tax credit (APTC) or cost-sharing
Eligible effective date: First day of the month following enrollment
Your submitted documentation must include:
- proof that you lost APTC or cost-sharing and
- proof showing the date it was effective.
Example event |
Example documentation |
|---|---|
| Loss of APTC or cost-sharing | Documentation from Pennie |
Enrollment or plan error
Enrollment or plan error
Eligible effective date: First day of the month following enrollment
Your submitted documentation must include:
- proof of the error and
- proof showing the date the error occurred.
Example event |
Example documentation |
|---|---|
|
Error of the issuer |
Documentation that displays the error and details of the error, subject to issuer determination Enrollment or nonenrollment in a plan is unintentional, inadvertent or erroneous and is the result of the error, misrepresentation, misconduct, or inaction of an office, or employee of Capital Blue Cross, providing enrollment assistance or conducting enrollment activities. Applies to the contract holder or dependents on the plan |
|
Experience a plan contract violation |
Documentation that displays the violation An enrollee or his or her dependents adequately demonstrates to Capital Blue Cross that the plan in which he or she is enrolled substantially violated a material provision of its contract in relation to the enrollee. |
|
Medicaid/CHIP denial |
A letter from Medicaid or CHIP that shows the denial date and denial reason; and the original application date. This is a valid SEP, if the application to Medicaid or CHIP occurred during the open enrollment period, or special enrollment period and the denial was received after the close of those periods. |
Domestic abuse or spousal abandonment
Domestic abuse or spousal abandonment
Eligible effective date: First day of the month following enrollment
Your submitted documentation must include:
- Proof of prior coverage with perpetrator (any documentation that shows list of covered members).
- Self-attestation stating you are a victim of domestic abuse or spousal abandonment.
Individual coverage HRA (ICHRA)
Individual coverage HRA (ICHRA)
Eligible effective date: First day of the month following enrollment, but no sooner than the date the ICHRA coverage is effective.
Proof of your eligibility for an ICHRA and documentation showing the effective date of the ICHRA.
Example event |
Example documentation |
|---|---|
| Individual coverage HRA (ICHRA) | Mandated employer written notice to ICHRA-eligible employees. |