Annual enrollment

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In the United States, annual enrollment (also known as open enrollment or open season) is a period of time, usually but not always occurring once per year, when employees of companies and organizations, including the government, [1] may make changes to their elected employee benefit options, such as health insurance. The term also applies to the annual period [2] during which individuals may buy individual health insurance plans through the online, state-based health insurance exchanges established by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Prior to January 1, 2014 insurers offering individual medical coverage typically allowed new members passing underwriting to enroll at any time throughout the year.

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Annual enrollment is also prominent in Medicare, where almost 50 million enrollees can choose to stay in original Medicare, or join or change plans within the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug programs for the coming calendar year. Individuals usually can make changes to, or sign up for, their health insurance or fringe benefits only once per year [2] during the annual enrollment period or when they have experienced a specific qualifying event. [3] Open enrollment periods are used in insurance markets to limit adverse selection risks resulting when enrollees can switch plans at will. [4]

During this time period, an employer will typically communicate to all eligible employees what options they have for their benefit program. Often the vendors or insurance providers will be present to explain the details of their products. This can be done either with group presentations, "benefit fairs" or meetings one on one with each employee. As travel expenses continue to rise many vendors and insurance providers have turned to using independent "contract enrollers" to do the communication on their behalf. Some companies and organizations distinguish between an active enrollment benefits election period, where employees must re-review or confirm their benefits selections for the coming year, and a passive enrollment benefits election period, where employees are automatically renewed with their existing benefits selections from the current year if no action is taken. [5]

Open season is a prominent feature of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program during which some three million federal civilian employees and retirees may choose among several dozen health insurance plans [1] for the coming year. Open season is scheduled in the fall each year, and plan enrollment decisions take effect in the following calendar year.

Annual enrollment under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, annual enrollment, or open enrollment, is the period that people in the United States who need health insurance can sign up for an individual insurance plan. Unless someone experiences a "qualifying event" (a change in personal circumstances such as getting married or having a baby [6] ) outside of the annual enrollment period, annual enrollment is the only time to sign up for individual health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Annual enrollment used to last for three months; the 2016 cycle lasted from November 1, 2015 to January 31, 2016. The 2018 annual enrollment cycle was reduced to 45 days (in most states) from November 1, 2017 to December 15, 2017. [7]

Acting during the annual enrollment period is vital for any individual who wishes to buy individual health insurance. During annual enrollment anyone who wants to purchase insurance through the public exchange has the opportunity to do so despite circumstances, such as health or age. Outside annual enrollment, it can be difficult to obtain insurance, either public or private unless circumstances dictate. [8]

States open enrollment dates for 2021

StateEnrollment date
AlabamaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
AlaskaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
ArizonaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
ArkansasNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
CaliforniaOctober 15, 2020 – January 31, 2021
ColoradoOctober 15, 2020 – January 15, 2021
ConnecticutNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
DelawareNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
FloridaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
GeorgiaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
HawaiiNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
IdahoNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
IllinoisNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
IndianaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
IowaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
KansasNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
KentuckyNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
LouisianaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
MaineNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
MarylandNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
MassachusettsOctober 15, 2020 – January 23, 2021
MichiganNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
MinnesotaNovember 1, 2020 – December 22, 2020
MississippiNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
MissouriNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
MontanaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
NebraskaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
NevadaNovember 1, 2020 – January 15, 2021
New HampshireNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
New JerseyNovember 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021
New MexicoNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
New YorkOctober 15, 2020 – January 31, 2021
North CarolinaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
North DakotaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
OhioNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
OklahomaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
OregonNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
PennsylvaniaNovember 1, 2020 – January 15, 2021
Rhode IslandOctober 15, 2020 – December 31, 2020
South CarolinaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
South DakotaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
TennesseeNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
TexasNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
UtahNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
VermontNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
VirginiaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
WashingtonNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
Washington DCOctober 15, 2020 – January 31, 2021
West VirginiaNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
WisconsinNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020
WyomingNovember 1, 2020 – December 15, 2020

Source: [9]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "Open Season". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  2. 1 2 "State Enrollment Deadlines". Annual Open Enrollment. 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  3. ↑ "2020 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period". MedicareFAQ. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  4. ↑ Decarolis, Francesco; Guglielmo, Andrea; Luscombe, Calvin (2017). "Open Enrollment Periods and Plan Choices". National Bureau of Economic Research, No. W24156. doi:10.3386/w24156. S2CID   168942702.
  5. ↑ Miller, Stephen (8 September 2017). "Open Enrollment: Active vs. Passive Benefits Election". SHRM. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  6. ↑ "Qualifying Life Event (QLE) - HealthCare.gov Glossary". HealthCare.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  7. ↑ "Official Marketplace Dates and Deadlines". HealthCare.gov.
  8. ↑ Affordable Care Act - Open Enrollment Eventus Solutions, November 2014
  9. ↑ "State Enrollment Deadlines". Annual Open Enrollment. 2020-09-25. Retrieved 2020-10-15.


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