How to Cancel or Change a Mistakenly Selected Health Insurance Plan

Accidentally selected the wrong health insurance plan? Here’s a detailed guide to resolve such issues effectively.

General Cancellation Process

If you discover that you have selected the wrong health insurance plan, the following steps outline how to address this mistake:

Contact the Insurance Carrier: Reach out to the insurance carrier directly to request the cancellation. You can find their contact details on your insurance card or from their official website. - Clearly indicate to the carrier that the plan was selected in error and, if applicable, request cancellation before the policy’s effective date or before making the first premium payment. - Keep records of all communications with the carrier for future reference.
Follow Regulatory Timing: Determine whether your state or the insurer allows changes based on timing: - Open Enrollment Period: You can change your plan without restrictions before the enrollment window closes. - Special Enrollment Period: If Open Enrollment has ended, changes may only be allowed for Qualifying Life Events, such as marriage, childbirth, or loss of other coverage.
Resetting or Choosing a New Plan: If you successfully cancel your existing plan, confirm with the carrier that it has been deactivated before selecting another plan. Some platforms, like Take Command, may have restrictions on resetting your shopping session after a plan has been submitted.

For instance, autopay may prevent the creation of a new shopping session while the current plan is active.

If you have duplicate active plans due to auto-renewal of a prior plan and a new selection, take the following steps:

Retain the plan intended for the new coverage year and cancel the older auto-renewed plan.
Contact your carrier’s customer service to request cancellation of the older plan.

If you accidentally selected a plan with unaffordable premiums, cancellation feasibility depends on the insurer and timing:

Overpayments usually result in a credit or refund, not automatic cancellation.
Review your plan’s cancellation policy during Open Enrollment or inquire about possible refunds.

After an application has been submitted to the carrier, note that:

Changes often cannot be made directly through the original platform, such as Take Command.
It is important to clarify whether autopay or system restrictions prevent initiating a new plan immediately.

Take quick action if the mistake occurs during Open Enrollment.
Before contacting your carrier, confirm your eligibility for cancellation under their policy.
Keep documentation of all your communications with the carrier and benefits administration team.

For any questions about general processes or on state or carrier-specific rules, refer to your carrier directly or consult customer service.