It's August. Open enrollment for 2027 doesn't start until November 1, so the short answer to "can I enroll today?" is: only if something on this list has happened to you. The good news is the list is longer than people think.
What a special enrollment period is
Outside open enrollment, the Marketplace lets you in if your life changed in a specific way. It's called a special enrollment period, and in almost every case it gives you 60 days from when the change happened.
Sixty days sounds like a lot and it flies by. It's the deadline I most often see missed by waiting for "when I have time".
The cases that open the door
| What happened to you | How long you have |
|---|---|
| You lost your insurance involuntarily — you were laid off, the job plan ended, you turned 26 and aged off your parents' plan | 60 days before and 60 days after |
| You moved to an area with different plans | 60 days |
| You got married | 60 days |
| You had a baby, adopted, or took in a foster child | 60 days from the birth or placement |
| You divorced or legally separated and lost coverage | 60 days |
| Someone in your household died and you lost the insurance | 60 days |
| You obtained citizenship or lawful immigration status | 60 days |
| You came off Medicaid or CHIP | 90 days in most states |
| The job plan stopped being affordable or meeting the minimum | 60 days |
| Your employer offered you an ICHRA or a QSEHRA | 60 days before |
There's also a category of exceptional circumstances — natural disasters, Marketplace errors, situations outside your control. Those are judged case by case, and there it really helps to have someone frame them properly.
Losing insurance involuntarily counts. Canceling it yourself doesn't. If you stop paying and it's canceled, that does not open a special enrollment period. It's the distinction that costs the most.
What did disappear
Until August 2025 there was a monthly special enrollment period for anyone with income below 150% of the federal poverty level: you could enroll any month of the year. That one is gone. In May 2026 it was permanently banned across all marketplaces.
I clarify it because it still circulates in old videos and posts, and people come to me convinced they can enroll any time because they have low income. Not anymore.
They will ask you for proof
For the loss-of-coverage special enrollment period you have to prove it. A letter from the carrier, the employer or the state works; an email from you saying you lost your insurance does not.
Advice from someone who has watched this fail many times: save the document the day it arrives, not when you need it. The coverage termination letter is the one that most often goes missing.
If you live in Georgia the process goes through Georgia Access, and the state can request documentation for any event, not just loss of coverage. In Florida it goes through HealthCare.gov.
If none of these apply to you
Then your date is November 1, 2026, when enrollment opens for the 2027 plan year. And my advice is not to leave it for December: if you enroll before December 15 your coverage starts January 1, and if you leave it later, it doesn't start until February 1.
You can tell me now to let you know when it opens, and I'll write to you. Or if you prefer, we run the numbers now so you get to November knowing exactly what you're going to buy.
Think one of these applies to you?
Tell me what happened and on what date, and I'll tell you in a minute whether you have a special enrollment period open. Free.
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Sources
General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. The rules can change. For your specific case, message me. Omar Mendoza, licensed agent — NPN 21726482.