Quit my job in home country in July 2022 and lost my local health insurance. Moved to the US (Illinois) in September. Got a job in February 2023 that doesn’t offer health insurance. Am I qualified for ACA special enrollment? If not, how do I get insurance?

Hello r/healthinsurance

I’m 32, unmarried w/o dependents, and a US citizen but this is my first time living and working in the US. I work in a niche professional field and was able to get a job at a small company that does work for larger companies. I guess their size makes them exempt from having to provide healthcare? But the manager was upfront about how my only compensation is going to be the $50 an hour and that I’ll work a regular 40 hours a week. I’m W-2 if it matters.

I’m completely new to all of this and was expecting benefits to be provided by my future employer so I missed the healthcare.gov open enrollment. I’m mainly worried about being ruined by an emergency before I can apply during the next open enrollment or find another job that does have benefits.

I don’t even know what my options are because the websites of health insurance providers only list Medicare/Medicaid plans (which I’m not eligible for) or ACA plans (which I might not be eligible for). Do they just not offer “normal” plans? Please help me out.