How to enroll in your Marketplace plan

The process of signing up for your health care Marketplace plan is pretty simple. Once you’ve compared your options, get started with our quick and simple enrollment process to see your personalized plan recommendations. Or, give us a call and we’ll walk you through step by step. You can also enroll through the Federal Marketplace, your state-based Marketplace, or with a broker.

Open Enrollment is the time of year when you and your family can sign up for health insurance, change your current plan or cancel your plan. Make sure you mark your calendar because it’s the only opportunity to get your Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace health insurance each year, unless you have a qualifying life event.

Beginning Nov. 1, 2023, you can enroll in a plan that will start either Jan. 1 or Feb. 1, 2024 — depending when you enroll. States that follow the Federal Marketplace enrollment timeframe accept applications up until Jan. 16, 2024.

• If you enroll by Dec. 15, 2023, your new plan will start Jan. 1, 2024.
• If you enroll after Dec. 15, 2023, your new plan will start Feb. 1, 2024.

States like Maryland, Colorado and Washington have local state-based Marketplaces only. The specific Open Enrollment dates in those states vary, so be sure to call us to find your window for enrolling. Or, check with your local health care Marketplace. 

You could have a Special Enrollment Period if you have a qualifying life event. These are things like having or adopting a baby, getting married, moving to a new area, turning 26, getting divorced, or leaving your job. These (and other) life events open up a Special Enrollment Period for you to choose a new health plan.

Our easy-to-use shopping and enrollment experience will ask a few basic questions to help guide you through a smooth shopping process. Things like: who needs coverage, your household income, how often you see your doctor and what prescriptions you’re taking.

Once we know what you’re looking for, we’ll recommend plan options for you to compare. When you see one you like, we’ll walk you through enrolling right then and there — all in just a few minutes. (Yes, really.)

After you enroll in a UnitedHealthcare Individual & Family ACA Marketplace plan on the health care Marketplace, you’ll need to check off a few simple items before your coverage can start. Don’t worry, you can do all of this right here, from your post-enrollment dashboard.

• Confirm your eligibility status and plan choice 
• Send verification documents to the health care Marketplace using your post-enrollment dashboard
• Make your first premium payment

• A welcome kit with plan and benefit information 
• Health plan ID card(s)
• Instructions for activating your online member account

It’s important to make your first payment on time so your coverage can officially start. And, as always, we’ll be here along the way to answer your questions and help you get to know your new plan.

You can make your payment at the time of enrollment or wait until you see your first invoice in the mail. That invoice will have your member ID and group number (the information you need to make your payment). You’ll choose from 3 easy ways to pay:

1. Online at myuhc.com/exchange
2. Over the phone at 1-877-265-9199, TTY 711
3. By mail

It’s easy to stay enrolled in the UnitedHealthcare Individual & Family ACA Marketplace plan you have now. Your current plan will likely automatically renew. Just keep paying your monthly premium and you’ll automatically be enrolled into the plan that matches closest to what you have. Make sure your family and income information is up to date so you’re paying the right amount each month — and don't get a surprise fee on future tax filings.