Missed Company’s Open Enrollment Period – Suggestions?

Hi All,

Through a series of mistakes, I have found myself missing my company’s open enrollment period for health care. The TLDR is: Got off my parent’s health insurance in July, opted into my company’s health care benefits, but when I submitted my selections for benefits, I basically made a clerical error with the date on the form in Workday. The people on the team sent me an email asking me to revise my submission before submitting, but for whatever reason I whiffed/missed the emails and didn’t enroll in the benefits during the first special enrollment period following the Qualifying Life Event (QLE being removed from my parents healthcare). That was July.

I was under the impression that I was on my company’s health care since that time – also, yes I am an idiot for not realizing that but as a mid 20’s person in good health, its not something that I pay that much attention to. Open Enrollment season (November for my firm) came and went, without me paying any attention (I thought my elections would just be automatically carried forward, which they would have been if they had been entered correctly). I have, at this point, learned a few valuable lessons, but none the less I do not and have not had health care since July.

I have been trying to work with my firms dedicated “Benefits & Healthcare” Team, but they are just going by the book and I am unsure of my options. The most help that I got is that I can open a Special Enrollment Period (SPE) if any of the below is true:

· ¿ Have you had a change in marital status within the last 31 days? o I have not, although I moved in with a long time partner Dec. 2 of this year. I asked if a domestic partnership would help, and our team said no. · ¿ Have you had a change in number of dependents (e.g., birth of a child) within the last 31 days? o No · ¿ Have you lost coverage under another plan within the last 31 days? o No · ¿ Have you moved to a location that would have changed your medical eligibility within the last 31 days? o I have moved zip codes also Dec. 2, but within a city and my “medical eligibility” has not changed from a short move. Already tried this route with the team and they have said that doesn’t count. · ¿ Have you lost Medicare/Medicaid coverage recently? o No

So basically I have two questions:

Is there any way that I can take advantage of any of the above clauses to open a SPE and enroll?
If not, does anybody have guidance as to the best way to find cheap and easy health insurance? I think I might just try to get a cheap plan, as mentioned I am a mid 20’s professional in good health (knock on wood) and would largely be getting some sort of nominal health insurance to have myself covered in case of an emergency and also to avoid whatever fees/penalties that are associated with not being covered.

TLDR: looking to find a way to get onto my company’s healthcare after missing the Open enrollment period. I realize I have made a number of mistakes thus far in the process (obviously) and have learned from them, so I appreciate any advice going forward but I know the underlying issue here is I’m an idiot.