The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a federal law that provides health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. Open enrollment is the period during which individuals can enroll in or change their health insurance plans. It is important for surrogacy journeys because it allows surrogates to choose insurance policies that cover surrogacy.
Under the ACA, any U.S. citizen or permanent resident can apply for major medical insurance as long as they do so during open enrollment, and premiums are the same no matter what pre-existing conditions they have. Surrogates, even if pregnant from their surrogacy, can sign up for this kind of insurance during their state’s open enrollment period. If you learn that your health insurance or maternity coverage does not include a surrogate pregnancy, look for an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan on the marketplace during open enrollment.
ACA open enrollment is a crucial period during surrogacy journeys because it provides surrogates and intended parents the opportunity to choose a plan that will cover a surrogate pregnancy, and this may only be available during open enrollment. It's important to begin research as soon as possible to determine if the surrogate's current plan is surrogacy-friendly and if the ACA plan alternatives are friendly or friendlier. As we discussed in another article, some plans have liens that should be avoided, as they will raise the cost of the surrogacy journey.
Depending on your county of residence, the ACA marketplace may not provide any surrogate-friendly plans. However, there are still some options available. For example, Lloyd's of London is a company that provides insurance coverage for surrogacy pregnancy.
The following a chart of the state deadlines for open enrollment.
States | Federal Open Enrollment Period for 2024 Plans |
Alabama | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Alaska | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Arizona | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Arkansas | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Delaware | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Florida | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Georgia | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Hawaii | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Illinois | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Indiana | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Iowa | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Kansas | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Louisiana | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Michigan | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Mississippi | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Missouri | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Montana | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Nebraska | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
New Hampshire | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
North Carolina | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
North Dakota | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Ohio | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Oklahoma | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Oregon | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
South Carolina | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
South Dakota | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Tennessee | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Texas | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Utah | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Virginia | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
West Virginia | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Wisconsin | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Wyoming | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
State | State Open Enrollment Period for 2024 Plans |
California | November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024 |
Colorado | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Connecticut | November 1, 2023 – January 16, 2024 |
Idaho | October 15, 2023 – December 15, 2023 |
Kentucky | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Maine | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Maryland | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Massachusetts | November 1, 2023 – January 23, 2024 |
Minnesota | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Nevada | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
New Jersey | November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024 |
New Mexico | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
New York | November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024 |
Pennsylvania | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Rhode Island | November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024 |
Vermont | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Washington DC | November 1, 2023 – January 31, 2024 |
Washington | November 1, 2023 – January 15, 2024 |
Conclusion
In conclusion, Affordable Care Act open enrollment is important in many surrogacy journeys because it allows parties to find insurance policies for surrogates that cover their pregnancy and contain no surrogacy exclusions or liens. If you are a surrogate or intended parent, make sure the surrogate's insurance coverage has been reviewed by a professional and sign up for major medical insurance during open enrollment to ensure she is covered for a surrogacy pregnancy if her insurance does not cover surrogacy
If you are committed to ensuring that your surrogacy journey aligns seamlessly with legal, financial, and healthcare aspects, don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our expert team, licensed in CA, NY, IL, WA, AZ, OK, is ready to provide the legal guidance and support you need. Contact us now.
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