Below is a list from Connect for Health Colorado of examples of Life Change Events that can help you get new coverage or change existing coverage.
Events that allow CURRENT customers to shop for a NEW plan or CHANGE an existing plan:
- Marriage or civil union
- Birth or adoption
- Change of American Indian/Alaska Native status
- Change of residence(if moving out of a service area)
- Gain or loss of eligibility for the tax credit or cost sharing reduction
- Incorrect or inappropriate enrollment NOT due to a customer error
- A customer demonstrates that their health plan has substantially violated a provision of its contract
Events that allow NEW customers to SHOP for a health plan:
- Loss of minimum essential coverage
- Employer-sponsored coverage becomes unaffordable*
- Gain of Citizenship or Immigration status
- Change in incarceration status
- Moved to Colorado
- A customer demonstrates that their health plan has substantially violated a provision of its contract
Events that allow current customers to UPDATE their current plan only:
- Removal of dependent due to divorce/annulment/separation
- Removal of dependent due to child age out(dependent turns 26)
- Removal of dependent due to death
* Affordable coverage means that an employer offers a health plan for employee-only coverage that does not exceed 9.5 percent of a worker’s W2 income; Costs for dependent coverage are not included in this calculation.
Please note that you can apply up to 30 days before the qualifying event and no more than 60 days after the qualifying event (counting the day of the qualifying event as one of the 60 days), so timing is everything.
Be sure to work with a health insurance broker to help you review both your on and off-exchange insurance plan options. They can help you determine which carriers will accept your qualifying event and which has the best value on health insurance. There is no extra charge for their professional services. Colorado consumers please click here.
