Key takeaways
- Open enrollment is the period of time each year you can sign up for health insurance or make changes to your plan.
- Each state has a different open enrollment period. Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah timelines are listed below.
- If you miss open enrollment, you may have to wait until next year’s open enrollment period to make changes to your insurance coverage.
- Some people may be able to sign up for or change insurance during a special enrollment period if they have a qualifying life event, such as losing a job or having a baby.
Open enrollment is the time each year when you can make changes to your health insurance plan. Missing the deadlines can mean waiting another year to sign up unless you qualify for a special enrollment period. Because dates vary by state, it’s important to know exactly when you need to act.
Open enrollment is your one guaranteed chance each year to sign up for or change health coverage. To get the coverage and plan you want, it’s important to know when your state’s open enrollment period is.
When is open enrollment for individual health insurance in 2026?
Most states have different open enrollment periods. These are the 2026 open enrollment timelines for Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. If you live outside of these states, visit healthcare.gov to find your state.
Colorado open enrollment timeline
Idaho open enrollment timeline
Nevada open enrollment timeline
Utah open enrollment timeline
When is open enrollment if you get insurance through your job?
If you have health coverage through your employer, your open enrollment timeline may be different than your state’s. Be sure to ask your manager or HR department when your company holds enrollment.
What if you miss open enrollment?
Open enrollment is the only guaranteed time of year you can make changes to or sign up for a health plan. If you miss that window, you might have to wait until next year’s open enrollment to sign up.
There are special circumstances where you may be eligible to sign up for or make changes to a plan outside of open enrollment. This is called a special enrollment period (SEP).
You may qualify for an SEP if you experience one of these qualifying life events:
- Getting married
- Getting divorced and losing health insurance as a result
- Giving birth or adopting a baby
- A death in the family that results in a loss of health insurance coverage
- Losing employer-sponsored coverage
- Losing Medicaid or CHIP eligibility
- Moving to a new ZIP code or state
- Turning 26 and aging off a parent’s plan
To find out if you qualify for a special enrollment period, contact our Sales Team at 855-442-0220 (toll-free).
How special enrollment periods work
Watch the video below to learn how you can use a special enrollment period to make changes to your plan outside of open enrollment.
Finding your Select Health insurance plan
Finding the right plan can be complicated. That's why our goal is to make insurance simple. If you’re not sure where to start, give our Sales Team a call at 855-442-0220 (toll-free) for personalized help.
To see what health plans we offer, visit our plans page.
Select Health: Your health insurance partner
Finding the right health insurance plan can seem overwhelming. At Select Health, we aim to make health insurance simple.
Browse Select Health’s plans online to review health plan options for the upcoming year. For personalized help with finding a new plan, call 800-442-3125 (toll-free) to speak with an agent who can help you find the right fit for your needs.
This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not legal or medical advice. Links to other sites are provided as a convenience, but Select Health does not endorse the third-party sites, information, or services.
The content included here is for your information and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Additionally, this information does not guarantee benefits. To review your benefits, please reference your plan materials or call Member Services at 800-538-5038 weekdays, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., closed Sunday. TTY users call 711.
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