If you have clients that have been disrupted by natural disasters, such as Hurricane Eta in Florida or the California wildfires, they may be entitled to a special enrollment period. Beneficiaries are entitled to a special enrollment period if:
- They reside in an area where a disaster or other emergency was declared by a federal, state, or local government entity – OR –
- They rely on someone who lives in the disaster area to help them make healthcare decisions – AND –
- They were eligible for another election period during the SEP eligibility period – AND –
- They didn’t make an election during the election period because of the disaster.
The SEP starts on the earlier of the following dates:
- The incident start date – OR –
- The start date identified in the declaration.
The SEP ends two calendar months following the later of the following dates:
- The end date identified in the declaration – OR –
- The date the end of the incident is announced.
The special election period code to be used is SEP – DST.
FEMA maintains a list of disasters they have declared here.
If you have questions about whether your client is eligible for an SEP or not, our team is happy to help!
