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Free Printable Checklist

Graduation Coverage Checklist

The months between your last semester and your first job with benefits are when young adults most often go uninsured. This one-page checklist closes the gap before it opens.

Prints on a single page — do it alongside the job applications, not after.

Jenkins Insurance & Retirement

Graduation Coverage Checklist

Your last semester (2–3 months out)

  • Find out exactly when your current coverage ends — student plans usually end with your enrollment or coverage term, not on graduation day; a parent's plan runs until you turn 26
  • If you're on Medicaid, note that it isn't tied to school — but new job income must be reported and can change eligibility
  • If you have a job offer, ask HR when benefits actually start (30–90 day waiting periods are common) — not just when the job does
  • Start a one-page list of your doctors, prescriptions, and preferred pharmacy

The month you graduate

  • Estimate your income for the whole calendar year — months without pay count too, and a partial-year salary often keeps you subsidy-eligible for the bridge months
  • If you're losing a student plan: that's a qualifying life event — your 60-day Special Enrollment window opens when coverage ends
  • If you're moving for work: a permanent move to a new coverage area is its own qualifying event with a 60-day window
  • Compare your bridge options — subsidized Marketplace plan vs. COBRA vs. staying on a parent's plan until 26 (a free advisor can run this in one sitting)
  • Skip the short-term plan temptation — they can exclude pre-existing conditions and skip essentials like prescriptions and mental health

Before the gap starts

  • Enroll with a start date that begins the day after your old coverage ends — no gap, even if the employer plan starts later
  • Save the enrollment confirmation number and pay the first premium — coverage isn't active until it's paid
  • If bridging to an employer plan, calendar the benefits start date and cancel the bridge plan effective that day

After you're settled

  • Confirm the new coverage shows active and save the member card
  • Report any income change to the Marketplace or Medicaid so your subsidy stays accurate
  • Going freelance instead? You're self-employed now — premiums may be tax-deductible, and honest income estimates keep your credit right
  • Mark Open Enrollment (November 1 – January 15) to re-compare plans for next year

This checklist is general education, not personalized advice. Graduation itself isn't a qualifying life event — but losing a student plan, moving, and income changes usually are, each with its own window.

Jenkins Insurance & Retirement · (435) 538-3474 · jjenkins@crsgadvisors.com

Printed from jenkinsir.com — free Medicare & insurance guidance for Wyoming and Utah

Graduating? Don't let coverage be the loose end.

Tell us your graduation date and job timeline — we'll map the gap, compare your bridge options, and get you covered without overpaying. Free, local, no pressure.

(435) 538-3474