Medicare Special Enrollment Period for Hurricane Helene
A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Medicare products in North Carolina, including Blue Cross NC, is available for those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Eligible individuals can enroll from September 25, 2024 – May 31, 2025. Proof or verbal attestation is required.
A Special Enrollment Period (SEP) has been established for individuals impacted by Hurricane Helene, allowing those affected to enroll in Medicare products in North Carolina, including Blue Cross NC products, outside the standard enrollment periods. This SEP applies to all counties affected by the disaster, ensuring individuals who could not enroll due to the emergency have an opportunity to secure coverage. The incident period for Hurricane Helene began on September 25, 2024, and will end on March 24, 2025, while the Special Enrollment Period runs from September 25, 2024, through May 31, 2025.
Individuals are eligible for this SEP if they resided in an affected area at the start of the eligibility period or relied on someone from an impacted area to assist with their healthcare decisions. Additionally, they must have been eligible for another enrollment period and missed it due to the disaster. If an individual believes they qualify, they may need to provide proof of residence in an impacted county at the time of the incident. They can verbally attest to their residence if proof is unavailable when enrolling.
Agents assisting clients with enrollment must select “Weather-Related or Major Disaster” as the reason for SEP eligibility on the application. While agents cannot proactively market this SEP, they can assist clients in contacting them for guidance. Suppose an incident end date is not specifically identified. In that case, it defaults to one year after the SEP start date or the date of a renewal or extension of the emergency declaration, whichever is later. The maximum SEP length is 14 full calendar months from the start date or the latest disaster extension.
This SEP provides critical relief to individuals affected by Hurricane Helene, ensuring they have access to Medicare coverage, including Blue Cross NC products, despite the disruption caused by the disaster. Those who believe they qualify should act before May 31, 2025, to take advantage of this opportunity.