Big Lots workers have 60 days to enroll after losing coverage

Big Lots workers who lose job-based health coverage have a 60-day window to enroll in Marketplace insurance, and the clock starts the day coverage ends. HealthCare.gov says Marketplace coverage can begin on the first day of the month after employer coverage stops, which makes timing the first thing laid-off workers need to get right.

The federal Marketplace treats a job loss as a Special Enrollment Period. HealthCare.gov says that applies when coverage ends through an employer or a family member’s employer, including dependent coverage that ends when someone is no longer eligible as a dependent. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says workers in that position have two main paths: shop for a Marketplace plan or check whether they qualify for Medicaid or CHIP.

That deadline matters for Big Lots because the company and its subsidiaries entered voluntary Chapter 11 proceedings on September 9, 2024, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. A WARN-related notice said affected workers would receive pay and benefits through November 3, 2024. Big Lots later said it planned to close more than 340 stores, underscoring how quickly retail workers can move from active coverage to an insurance gap.

The practical mistake is waiting until the last paycheck or the last day on the job to start looking. KFF says people generally have 60 days after losing other job-based coverage to apply, and if they know the loss is coming they can apply up to 60 days before it ends. That matters for workers whose hours are cut before a layoff, because the insurance deadline is tied to the end of coverage, not to when someone feels ready to sort out paperwork.

Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace lays out the timing in plain terms: if job-based coverage ends on March 7 and a Marketplace plan is selected by March 31, coverage can start April 1. For Big Lots workers facing a layoff or a reduced-hours transition, the message is simple: keep proof that coverage is ending, compare plans early, and do not let the 60-day clock run out before new coverage is lined up.