Federal, exists in every state
Add your child to a work plan after Medicaid or CHIP ends
Official name: HIPAA/CHIPRA employer-plan special enrollment
If Medicaid or CHIP eligibility ends, request enrollment in an available work plan within 60 days. A premium-assistance decision also starts a 60-day enrollment window.
A place on a work plan within 60 days, without waiting for open enrollment.
Program details
Who does what
The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.
You
Send HR a dated enrollment request and the Medicaid/CHIP loss or premium-assistance notice; keep proof of receipt.
Your social worker
The hospital social worker helps locate the right office and gather supporting records.
The care team
Records and letters when the application asks for them.
- Who decides
- The agency or plan named in the first step
- Ask your social worker
- “Can you process special enrollment for my child and confirm the filing deadline and coverage start in writing?”
How to apply
First step: Send HR a dated enrollment request and the Medicaid/CHIP loss or premium-assistance notice; keep proof of receipt.
- Send HR a dated enrollment request and the Medicaid/CHIP loss or premium-assistance notice; keep proof of receipt.
Official application / program page ↗
Where it starts: Send HR a dated enrollment request and the Medicaid/CHIP loss or premium-assistance notice; keep proof of receipt.
What to gather
- The relevant plan or benefit notice
- Documents showing the need and relevant income
How long: Ask the deciding office for its current processing time.
What a yes looks like
Written confirmation of the benefit, its scope and any cost.
What a no looks like, and the next move
Ask for the reason in writing and the review route.
Watch out
- You must otherwise meet the work plan’s eligibility conditions. Ordinary loss of other coverage generally has a different, at-least-30-day request window. Do not assume all enrollment events share the same deadline.
The numbers and the rules
The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 10, 2026.
What it is worth
A chance to join an available employer plan without waiting for annual enrollment.
Covers: A chance to join an available employer plan without waiting for annual enrollment.
What it costs the family: Ask the agency or plan to confirm any charge before committing.
The eligibility facts, as published
- Review
- The agency or plan must confirm the conditions described here.
The trap: The agency or plan checks the conditions; this guide does not decide the application.
What changes by state: Plan and local implementation vary.