Disaster Special Election Periods (DST-SEPs)

DST-SEPs in AR, IL, NV, OR, TX, and WV

Agents are encouraged to use caution to distinguish between the guidance in effect for each disaster. *Always verify details as events are continuously updated.

This communication is an important announcement for those with clientele and business in the following states, commonwealths, and/or districts: Arkansas, Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and West Virginia.

The counties, parishes, boroughs, tribes, cities, municipalities, and/or villages noted below are under a federal or state-designated Special Enrollment Period (SEP) due to an emergency/disaster (DST).

IMPORTANT: DST SEPs can only be used if the beneficiary is eligible for another election period at the time of the DST eligibility period and has not already made an election during that other valid election period due to the disaster or other emergency.

Please review the DST-SEP guidelines at the bottom of this blog post to ensure you stay compliant and refer to HealthSpring’s Ongoing SEP tracker in Producers’ University (login required) for the most up-to-date information.

Please note: A disaster SEP application is only valid while the SEP declaration is in effect. If an end date is not listed below, please refer to our Ongoing SEP tracker in Producers’ University for the most up-to-date information. Any SEP applications submitted outside of that SEP’s declaration date will be rejected.

Arkansas

Declaration information1 (New)

FEMA/FMAG declaration: Bunker Fire

SEP incident dates: 09/14/2026 – 09/14/2027

This SEP declaration is effective: 09/14/2026 – 11/30/2027

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Calhoun and Ouachita Counties

Illinois

Declaration information1 (New)

State declaration: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Heavy Rainfall, and Straight-line Winds

SEP incident dates: 08/09/2026 – 11/12/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 08/09/2026 – 12/31/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Champaign, Cook, DuPage, Ford, Fulton, LaSalle, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion & Will Counties.

Nevada

Declaration information1 (New)

FEMA/FMAG declaration: Hawk Fire

SEP incident dates: 08/22/2026 – 10/13/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 08/22/2026 – 11/30/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Washoe County.

Oregon

Declaration information1 (New)

State declaration: Drought Emergency

SEP incident dates: 09/03/2026 – 01/29/2027

This SEP declaration is effective: 09/03/2026 – 02/28/2027

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Hood River County.

Texas

Declaration information1 (Renewed)

State declaration: Drought

SEP incident dates: 07/08/2022 – 10/12/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 07/08/2022 – 11/30/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Aransas, Armstrong, Bandera, Bee, Bexar, Blanco, Brewster, Burnet, Caldwell, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Comanche, Cottle, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Floyd, Foard, Gray, Grayson, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hays, Hemphill, Hidalgo, Hutchinson, Jim Wells, Kendall, Kerr, King, Kleberg, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Lubbock, Maverick, Moore, Motley, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Real, Roberts, San Patricio, Sherman, Swisher, Travis, Wharton, Wheeler, Wilbarger, Willacy, and Williamson Counties.

 

Declaration information1 (Renewed)

State declaration: Fire Weather Conditions

SEP incident dates: 08/10/2025 – 10/30/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 08/10/2025 – 12/31/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Anderson, Angelina, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Baylor, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Bowie, Brazos, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Callahan, Cameron, Camp, Carson, Cass, Castro, Cherokee, Childress, Clay, Coke, Coleman, Collin, Collingsworth, Colorado, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crosby, Dallam, Dallas, DeWitt, Deaf Smith, Delta, Denton, Dickens, Dimmit, Donley, Duval, Eastland, Edwards, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fannin, Fayette, Fisher, Floyd, Foard, Fort Bend, Franklin, Freestone, Frio, Garza, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hartley, Haskell, Hays, Hemphill, Henderson, Hidalgo, Hill, Hood, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Hutchinson, Jack, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, Knox, La Salle, Lamar, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Lipscomb, Live Oak, Llano, Madison, Marion, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Milam, Mills, Montague, Montgomery, Moore, Morris, Motley, Nacogdoches, Navarro, Newton, Nolan, Nueces, Ochiltree, Oldham, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Parker, Polk, Potter, Rains, Randall, Real, Red River, Refugio, Roberts, Robertson, Rockwall, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Shelby, Sherman, Smith, Somervell, Starr, Stephens, Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Uvalde, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Wheeler, Wichita, Wilbarger, Willacy, Williamson, Wilson, Wise, Wood, Young, Zapata, and Zavala Counties.

 

Declaration information1 (Renewed)

State declaration: Heavy Rainfall and Flash Flooding

SEP incident dates: 07/13/2026 – 10/10/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 07/13/2026 – 11/30/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brewster, Burnet, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal, Crockett, DeWitt, Dimmit, Edwards, Fayette, Fort Bend, Frio, Galveston, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Grimes, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Jackson, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Lee, Live Oak, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Menard, Mitchell, Pecos, Real, Schleicher, Sutton, Terrell, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Waller, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Williamson, Wilson, Zapata, and Zavala Counties.

 

Declaration information1 (Renewed)

State declaration: Hill County Heavy Rainfall and Flooding

SEP incident dates: 07/02/2025 – 10/12/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 07/02/2025 – 11/30/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Bandera, Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Coke, Comal, Concho, Edwards, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, Menard, Real, Reeves, San Saba, Schleicher, Sutton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, and Williamson Counties.

 

Declaration information1 (New)

FEMA/FMAG declaration: Hydra Fire

SEP incident dates: 09/14/2026 – 09/14/2027

This SEP declaration is effective: 09/14/2026 – 11/30/2027

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Bosque County.

West Virginia

Declaration information1 (New)

State declaration: Flooding

SEP incident dates: 09/10/2026 – 11/14/2026

This SEP declaration is effective: 09/10/2026 – 12/31/2026

Impacted counties for SEP purposes: Mason County.

Important notices

IMPORTANT – Please be aware that a DST SEP:

  • does not mean that active marketing can occur.
  • is only available for individuals that reside or resided at the start of the SEP eligibility period where a federal, state, or local government entity declared a disaster or other emergency.
  • can only be used if the individual was eligible for another election period at the time of the DST eligibility period and did not make an election during that other valid election period due to the disaster or other emergency.
  • does not mean that carriers initiated waiving of authorization or referral requirements.
  • does not extend waiving of prior authorizations, referrals, etc.

SEP for individuals affected by a government-entity declared disaster or other emergency

42 CFR §§ 422.62(b)(18) and 423.38(c)(23)

Please review this link1 to refer to the guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on DST-SEPs.