If you’ve ever looked for health insurance, you may have heard the term “open enrollment period.” While this phrase is commonly associated with Medicare plans, it also applies to individual and family health insurance plans. So, what is it? Open enrollment is the time of year that you as an individual can apply for health insurance plans. That’s it. The time period is generally from November 1st to December 15th annually, and coverage begins January 1st of the following year.
Here’s the caveat: if you don’t enroll during the open enrollment period, you may not be eligible to enroll until the following open enrollment! There are circumstances in which this isn’t the case, but this is the general rule of thumb.
So mark your calendars! If you need health insurance, it’s best to jump on that in early November to ensure you have coverage for the coming year!