your daughter has until march to purchase coverage on the exchange. so she can wait till january or february to sign up for coverage that will take affect when she loses coverage under your plan. while she could purchase coverage on the exchange anytime if she is your dependent she will not be eligible for a tax subsidy on the exchange until she loses access to your coverage in march. if your daughter is not a dependent for tax purposes you may want to begin exploring her options on the exchange now. she may be eligible for a subsidy that could make it less costly for her to enroll in a plan that begins in january.
i cover my daughter through my employer but will be retiring march 2014. my daughter is 23 and will be dropped from my insurance. should i have her apply through the exchange now? or should i cover her until my retirement date then have her purchase her own insurance?