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What Is the 1095-A Form and Why You Might Need It

The 1095-A is a tax form that reports information about health insurance coverage purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace. This form shows what months you had coverage, how much you paid in premiums, and any subsidies or tax credits you received to help pay those premiums. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sends this form to individuals who bought insurance through Healthcare.gov or their state's marketplace during the tax year.

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You receive a 1095-A if you purchased a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) through the Marketplace and received advance payments of the premium tax credit (also called subsidies). This form is separate from the health insurance ID card your insurance company sends you—it's specifically for tax purposes. The IRS matches information from your 1095-A with your tax return to make sure that any tax credits you received were correct based on your actual income for that year.

Understanding the 1095-A matters because it directly affects your taxes. If you received monthly subsidies to lower your insurance costs, those amounts need to be reported on your federal tax return. The form shows the benchmark plan amount (the second-lowest cost Silver plan in your area), your monthly premium amounts, and the subsidies paid on your behalf. Without this information, you cannot accurately file your taxes if you used the Marketplace.

Many people confuse the 1095-A with other health-related tax forms. The 1095-B shows you had minimum essential coverage through your employer or another source. The 1095-C is used by employers to report coverage they offered to employees. The 1095-A is unique to Marketplace purchases and is what you need if you bought insurance through Healthcare.gov or a state exchange.

Practical takeaway: If you purchased health insurance through the Marketplace and received subsidies, you will need your 1095-A to file your taxes accurately. Keeping this form organized when you receive it prevents delays when tax season arrives.

How to Obtain Your 1095-A Information

The Marketplace mails your 1095-A by February 28 each year for the prior tax year. You should receive your form in the mail at the address you provided when you enrolled in your Marketplace plan. However, timing varies, and some people receive their forms earlier or later. If you purchased coverage through Healthcare.gov, you can also view and print your 1095-A online through your Marketplace account.

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To retrieve your 1095-A from Healthcare.gov, log in with your username and password, then navigate to your account dashboard. Look for a section labeled "Tax Forms" or "1095-A." You should be able to view the form and download it as a PDF. Keep this digital copy in a safe place alongside your physical copy. State-based Marketplaces have similar processes—check your state's specific instructions on their website.

If you do not receive your 1095-A by early March, contact your state's Marketplace directly. You can find the phone number on Healthcare.gov or your state health department website. Have your information ready: your name, date of birth, and the Social Security number associated with your Marketplace account. The Marketplace representative can confirm whether a form was issued and provide a copy if needed.

Some people purchase coverage for multiple family members under one Marketplace account. In this case, you may receive one form that shows information for all covered individuals, or you may receive separate forms for each person. Check your form carefully to ensure all family members' coverage is listed correctly. If you changed plans during the year, your 1095-A will show information about all plans you had active coverage under.

If your address changed after you enrolled but before March, the Marketplace may send your form to your old address. Consider filing a change of address with the United States Postal Service, or contact the Marketplace proactively to update your address in your account. You can also request that the Marketplace email you a copy of your form instead of mailing it.

Practical takeaway: Start looking for your 1095-A in February and set a reminder to check your Marketplace account online if you do not receive it by early March. Having this form before you file your taxes prevents rushing and errors.

Understanding the Information on Your 1095-A

Your 1095-A contains several sections, each with specific information about your coverage and costs. Part I shows your personal information: name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number or Tax Identification number. Verify this section matches your records exactly. Any errors here can cause problems when the IRS processes your return.

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Part II contains coverage information. This section shows all family members included on your plan and the months each person had coverage. It displays boxes for all 12 months of the year, and each covered month is marked. If you had coverage for part of the year, only those months will be marked. This matters for your taxes because you must have had coverage for at least part of each month you claim on your return.

Part III shows financial information about your plan and the subsidies you received. Key numbers include: (1) The monthly premium for your plan, (2) The benchmark plan premium (the second-lowest cost Silver plan), (3) The advance premium tax credit you received each month (the subsidy), and (4) Your monthly out-of-pocket costs before the subsidy was applied. The difference between the benchmark premium and your advance credit tells you how much of the premium you were responsible for each month.

Understanding these numbers is important because if your income during the year was different from what you reported when you enrolled, you may have received too much or too little in subsidies. The IRS reconciles this on your tax return. If you received more subsidies than you were entitled to based on your actual income, you may owe money back. If you received less, you might get a refund or credit.

Line 1f on your 1095-A shows the benchmark plan premium. This number is used in the tax credit calculation on Form 8962 (the form you complete to reconcile your tax credits). Line 1g shows the advance premium tax credits paid on your behalf. These are the monthly subsidy amounts added together. Line 1h shows your share of the premium, which is what you paid directly to your insurance company each month.

Practical takeaway: Read your 1095-A carefully to understand how much you were subsidized each month. If the coverage months, premium amounts, or subsidy amounts look incorrect, contact the Marketplace before filing your taxes.

Correcting Errors on Your 1095-A

If your 1095-A contains errors, the Marketplace can issue a corrected form called a 1095-A Corrected. Errors might include wrong coverage months, incorrect Social Security numbers, misspelled names, wrong premium amounts, or subsidy discrepancies. Even small errors should be corrected because the IRS will cross-check the information against your tax return.

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Common errors include coverage marked for months you were not actually enrolled, wrong family member information, or discrepancies between what you paid and what the form shows. If you remember stopping your coverage in June but the form shows coverage through December, that is an error. If a family member is listed who was not on your plan, that needs correction. Contact the Marketplace to report these issues, ideally before filing your taxes.

To request a correction, call your state Marketplace or Healthcare.gov. Have your form in front of you and be specific about what is wrong. For example, say "I was covered in January through June, but the form shows coverage through December" rather than "the months are wrong." Provide your account number, which appears on your 1095-A. The Marketplace will investigate the error in their records and issue a corrected form if an error is confirmed.

The process takes time, sometimes several weeks. If you discover an error after you have already filed your taxes, do not panic. You can file an amended return using Form 1040-X once you receive the corrected 1095-A. However, it is better to correct the error before filing your initial return to avoid the amended return process entirely.

Some errors may be on your part. If you failed to report a change in income or family size during the year, the Marketplace may have paid you more subsidies than you were entitled to. You cannot request a corrected 1095-A for this—instead, you will address this discrepancy when you file your taxes. The IRS will reconc