You Can Still Enroll in Obamacare (in Some States)
The open enrollment period is over , but it’s not too late to sign up for Obamacare coverage in 2021 – at least if you live in one of the 12 states or Washington DC. While the normal enrollment period to cover the Affordable Care Act in most states expired on December 15, the deadline has been extended for some state exchanges. If you are in one of the companies listed below, you can still qualify for low-cost coverage.
Extended terms
Several states have separate, government-controlled health insurance markets, not the federal marketplace HealthCare.gov, and are eligible to renew permanently (as California, Colorado, and the District of Columbia have done) or as a COVID-related device. (some states even renewed registrations last spring when the pandemic hit the US).
Extended deadlines are listed below. (Note that in some states, the effective dates depend on when you register during the registration period, so those dates are also included.)
California : Register by January 31, 2021.
- Register by December 30 to receive coverage starting January 1.
- Sign up from December 16 to January 15 for coverage starting February 1.
- register from January 16th to January 31st for coverage from March 1st
Colorado: Register by January 15, 2021 to receive coverage from February 1.
Connecticut: Register by January 15, 2021 to receive coverage starting February 1.
Idaho: Register by December 31, 2020 to receive coverage starting January 1.
Massachusetts : Register by January 23, 2021.
- Register by December 23rd to receive coverage starting January 1st.
- Sign up from December 24th to January 23rd for coverage starting February 1st.
Minnesota: Register by December 22, 2020 with coverage starting January 1.
Nevada: Register by January 15, 2021
- Register by December 31st to receive coverage starting January 1st.
- Sign up for coverage from January 1st to January 15th starting February 1st.
New Jersey : Register by January 31, 2021.
- Register by December 31st to receive coverage starting January 1st.
- Register between January 1st – January 31st for coverage from February 1st.
New York: Register by January 31, 2021
- Register by December 31st to receive coverage starting January 1st.
- Register by January 15th to receive coverage from February 1st.
- Sign up from January 16 to January 31 for coverage from March 1.
Pennsylvania : Register by January 15, 2021.
- Register by December 22nd to receive coverage starting January 1st.
- Register by January 15th to receive coverage starting February 1st.
Rhode Island : Register by January 23, 2021.
- Register by December 31st to receive coverage starting January 1st.
- Sign up for coverage from January 1st to January 23rd starting February 1st.
Washington DC : Register by January 15, 2021 to receive coverage from February 1.
Washington DC: Register by January 31, 2021.
- Register by January 15th to receive coverage starting February 1st.
- Sign up from January 16 to January 31 for coverage from March 1.
(Native Americans and Medicaid or CHIP eligible applicants are eligible year round.)