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Losing Student Health Insurance After Graduation
Graduation ends more than a semester -- it usually ends your student health plan too, and that opens a real enrollment window.
Losing a school-sponsored student health plan at graduation is a loss of minimum essential coverage, which generally opens a Special Enrollment Period for the ACA Marketplace -- the same type of window you'd get from losing any other coverage.
This works like any other coverage-loss qualifying event
You generally have 60 days before or after your student coverage ends to enroll in a Marketplace plan without waiting for the annual Open Enrollment Period.
- If your first job's benefits haven't started yet, this window matters even more
- Your income while job-hunting or in an entry-level role may qualify you for a meaningful subsidy
Check whether you're still eligible for a parent's plan
If a parent's plan covers dependents up to age 26, that may still be an option even after graduating and losing student coverage -- worth checking alongside the Marketplace.
Your next step
Confirm your Special Enrollment Period timing now that your student plan is ending.
Also worth a look:
Common questions
Does losing my student health plan count as a qualifying life event?
Yes -- losing any minimum essential coverage, including a school-sponsored student health plan, generally opens a Special Enrollment Period for the ACA Marketplace.
What if I don't have a job yet after graduating?
Your Marketplace subsidy is based on your estimated income for the year, so a lower income while job-hunting may mean a meaningful premium tax credit -- worth checking your real numbers rather than assuming coverage is unaffordable.
Can I go back on a parent's health plan instead?
Possibly, if the plan covers dependents up to age 26 and allows re-enrollment outside Open Enrollment for this kind of change -- check with the plan directly, or ask a licensed agent to help you compare that against a Marketplace plan.
Questions are easier by phone.
Call 855-367-1095 to talk through your situation with licensed insurance help.
- Licensed insurance help
- No guaranteed eligibility, pricing, or availability
- Educational starting point
Information on this site is educational and does not guarantee eligibility, enrollment, pricing, or availability. It is not a recommendation to buy any specific plan or policy.