Can I Get Health Insurance If Unemployed? 
Your employment status does not effect your eligibility for individual health insurance coverage . The important question is how long have you been unemployed ? With the closing of the 2015 open enrollment period on February 15th an individual has to experience a `` change of life status event '' in order to enroll for coverage before next year 's open enrollment period . Loss of group health insurance coverage from a previous job is a change of life status event . You have 60-days after a change of life status event to enroll in individual coverage . You should have the option of enrolling directly with a major medical insurance carrier in your state or through the government health insurance marketplace . It should be noted that if you have recently lost employer based health insurance you should have the ability to continue your coverage through your former employer 's group health plan for some period of time . This will vary depending upon your state of residence and the size of your employer . If you worked for a company with 20 + employees they are subject to the Federal COBRA continuation guidelines and you could continue your coverage through them for up to 18-months as long as you pay the entire monthly premium in a timely manner . You have 63-days after termination of employment to exercise your COBRA continuation privilege . If you worked for a company with less than 20 employees then state continuation rules would apply and these do vary from state to state . 