HealthCare.gov does not provide a special enrollment period for people who experience death or divorce without loss of coverage. HealthCare.gov’s policy manual notes that death or divorce/separation does not trigger a special enrollment period.[efn_note]“Federally-facilitated Exchange (FFE) Enrollment Manual” (page 68) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. July 12, 2023[/efn_note] But it’s important to note that people in these situations may simultaneously experience another qualifying life event that also triggers an SEP, regardless of whether they’re already enrolled in a plan through the exchange. For example, a person who divorces and subsequently moves to a new location would be eligible for an SEP as a result of the move (assuming different health plans are available in the new area, and assuming the person already had coverage before the move). Similarly, a person who is covered as a spouse or dependent on an employer-sponsored plan would lose access to the plan if they got divorced or if the employee were to die. Even if up to 36 months of COBRA were to be available to that person, they would also have access to an SEP in the individual market, triggered by the loss of coverage. In both of those examples, there’s no requirement that the person was already enrolled in a plan through the exchange; those special enrollment periods are more flexible than the one that would have been triggered by losing a dependent or no longer being considered a dependent. (To clarify, the optional SEP for death or divorce is available to an “enrollee” which means a person already enrolled in the exchange. This differs from a “qualified individual” which means a person who is eligible to enroll in the exchange.[efn_note]“45 CFR 155.20” Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Accessed May 2, 2024[/efn_note] The SEPs for a permanent move and for loss of coverage are both available to qualified individuals or enrollees whereas the optional SEP for death or divorce is only available to an enrollee.[efn_note]“45 CFR 155.420” Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Accessed May 2, 2024[/efn_note] This is explained in more detail below.)