How Do I Get Proof of Health Insurance For Taxes?
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At the end of each plan year, you'll receive a 1095 form or letter, which provides details about your health insurance that you may need when filing your taxes, such as premium amounts and coverage dates. The 1095 form is sent by the health insurance marketplace or your insurance company. You don't need to return the form with your tax return, but we recommend keeping it for your records.
The 1095 forms you receive can be used as documentation to reconcile premium tax credits or any extra deductions you want to claim on your taxes. Depending on the source of your health insurance coverage, you are provided with one of three forms that outline your policy.
Do I need to prove I have health insurance for my tax returns?
Starting with the 2019 tax year, you no longer need to prove you have health insurance on your tax returns. But you may still receive tax forms with insurance information, and those with marketplace insurance will need those details to complete their returns.
Anyone who has health insurance should receive one of three tax forms for the 2022 tax year: Form 1095-A, Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C.
The form you receive is based on how you obtained your health insurance: through a health insurance marketplace or exchange, the government or your employer. Form 1095-A is sent to people with marketplace insurance. It provides coverage dates, total premiums paid and information necessary to reconcile — or request — premium tax credits. If you received advance premium tax credits or want to submit the tax credits on your return, you will need the 1095-A information to file your taxes. You won't need any information from the 1095-B or 1095-C to file, and none of the three forms need to be attached to your tax return.
The forms are important, as they provide information needed for your tax return, such as total premiums paid and the time frame you were covered. You also can use this information if you plan to itemize health care expenses, including premiums, on your taxes. If you don't use the information on your tax form, you'll still want to keep the documents for your records.
During the first years of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 1095 forms were more important, as they would allow the IRS to verify health insurance coverage. If the IRS identified gaps in health coverage, then you would be required to pay the tax penalty for not having minimum essential coverage. But starting with the 2019 tax year (filed in 2020), the penalty for lacking coverage is no longer in effect.
While a W-2 includes information about an individual's income, Form 1095 contains information about health insurance for the previous year. The form you receive depends on the source of your health insurance coverage. We've broken down each 1095 document below.
Form 1095-A
You'll receive Form 1095-A if you were enrolled in a marketplace health plan during the tax year. The form is a statement from the marketplace (either the HealthCare.gov federal marketplace or your state's health care exchange) acknowledging you were enrolled in medical insurance coverage and has information about your policy. That information includes:
- Effective date of coverage
- Amount of premiums paid
- Dependents covered under the policy
- Any advance payments from premium tax credits
Form 1095-B
Form 1095-B is sent to people who receive coverage from insurers other than a large employer or the marketplace. For example, you may receive a 1095-B if you bought health insurance coverage from a health provider outside the marketplace or participated in a government program, such as Medicare or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Form 1095-C
Employers send tax form 1095-C to confirm the employee participated in an employer health insurance plan. The form provides information about the policy and who was covered under the plan. Generally, companies with 50 or more employees offer such plans and employees can choose whether they participate.
Companies report to the IRS whether or not employees participate in their health plans. They also send employees Form 1095-C to keep as a tax record. As with Form 1095-A, individuals who receive Form 1095-C do not need to attach it to their tax return.
When do I receive my Form 1095 document?
The deadline for the marketplace to provide you with Form 1095-A is January 31. For the 2022 tax year, the deadline for insurers, companies and government agencies to deliver 1095-B and 1095-C was extended to March 2, 2023.
How do 1095 forms relate to my tax returns?
If you used premium tax credits to pay for your marketplace health insurance costs, these would be listed on your Form 1095-A. An advance premium tax credit helps lower your monthly health insurance premium. The sum of the credits and related details are required when filing your tax return, as any differences between what you used and the amount you are eligible for would need to be reconciled.
To reconcile this information, check the 1095-A form:
- If you used more credits than you were due, you would owe additional tax for the difference between the two amounts.
- If you used less than you were eligible for, you would receive a tax refund for the difference.
You do not need to file a tax return solely because you received either Form 1095-B or 1095-C. For instance, if you are enrolled in Medicaid, you would receive the 1095-B. If you had no other tax-filing obligations, there would be no need to file a tax return.
Frequently asked questions
How do I obtain my 1095-A form?
If you don't receive a 1095-A form by mail, you can find it by accessing your HealthCare.gov account online. Log on and go to "Your Existing Applications." From there, you can select and download the form you need.
Do I need a 1095-A to file my taxes?
If you purchased your health insurance through the ACA marketplace, you need the information provided on the 1095-A to complete your taxes. But you're not required to send the form when you file your return.
What do I do if I don't have a 1095-A?
If you bought insurance through the marketplace and don't receive a 1095-A form either by mail or online, you should contact the marketplace from which you received coverage. To be sure you have all the needed information, you should wait to receive your 1095-A before filing your taxes.