If you did not purchase health insurance during the last open enrollment period, you may still be eligible to sign up and enroll in health insurance with a qualifying life event or by requesting a waiver from the Office of Patient Protection (OPP).
Open Enrollment: Certain types of health insurance may only be purchased during an open enrollment period.
Qualifying Life Event: If you have a qualifying life event—like getting married, losing a job, having a child, or losing health insurance coverage—you may be able to buy and enroll in health insurance outside of the open enrollment period. To learn more about qualifying life events, visit the Connector.
Request an Open Enrollment Waiver from OPP: If a health insurance company denies enrollment in health insurance and you do not have a qualifying life event, you can request a waiver of the open enrollment period. A waiver of the open enrollment period allows you to enroll in health insurance outside of the open enrollment without a qualifying life event.
Employer-sponsored Health Insurance: If your employer offers health insurance, it may also limit enrollment to certain times during the year. You should talk to your employer about your needs. If you are seeking to enroll in employer-sponsored health insurance or other insurance obtained as a member of a group, you are not eligible for an open enrollment waiver.
Health care terminology and acronyms aren't always easy to understand. For further clarification and definitions, please consult the health insurance glossary from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Open Enrollment Waiver Form
To request a waiver, see below for the open enrollment waiver form. You may submit the form by mail or fax. Please send a completed form AND the notice denying your enrollment in health insurance, to:
Health Policy Commission
Office of Patient Protection
50 Milk Street, 8th Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Fax: 617-624-5046
SPECIAL NOTE FOR CURRENT OR FORMER MASSHEALTH MEMBERS
Do you want to renew your MassHealth insurance? Did your MassHealth coverage recently end? You may apply for MassHealth at any time during the year. You DO NOT need an open enrollment waiver from OPP to apply for MassHealth. Please visit MASSHEALTH or call their customer service line at 1-800-841-2900 for eligibility, benefits, or other helpful information. For information about eligibility for subsidized health insurance including MassHealth, you may also call Health Care For All, 800-272-4232.
Additional Resources
SPECIAL NOTE FOR CONSUMERS WHO NEED HELP PAYING FOR HEALTH INSURANCE
Do you want help paying for health insurance? Do you have a low-to-moderate household income? When you apply for health insurance through the Connector, you may find out that you qualify for help paying for health insurance. The amount of help you receive depends on your household income. And, depending on your household income, you may apply for health insurance at any time. Please visit the Connector or call their customer service line at 1- 877-623-6765 for more information.
Contact for Request an open enrollment waiver
Phone
Don’t speak English? We can still help. An interpreter will help translate the conversation.