In order to make changes to your current enrollment outside of the annual Open Enrollment Period, you must experience a qualifying life event (QLE). A QLE is a change in circumstances that may make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period, during which you may make changes to your enrollment.
There are six categories of Special Enrollment Periods offered through Get Covered Illinois:
- Loss of minimal essential coverage like job-based coverage or Illinois Medicaid;
- Change in household size (e.g. birth of a child, marriage);
- Change of residence;
- Change in income that makes you newly eligible/ineligible for financial assistance;
- Errors and special circumstances (e.g. incorrect action by Get Covered Illinois or marketplace partner; and
- Other qualifying events (e.g. pregnancy, spousal abandonment, requesting health coverage on their Illinois 1040 state income tax return).
If you are currently enrolled through Get Covered Illinois and need to report a QLE, log in to your Get Covered Illinois account and click “Edit Application.” Once your application is updated, click “Confirm Event and Shop” to report your QLE and enroll into coverage.
You generally have 60 days to report your QLE and enroll into coverage.