The Affordable Care Act requires you and each member of your family to have minimum essential coverage, qualify for an insurance coverage exemption, or make an individual shared responsibility payment for months without coverage or an exemption when you file your federal income tax return.
You, your spouse or your dependents may be eligible to claim an exemption from the requirement to have coverage and are not required to make a payment. .For any month that you do not qualify for a coverage exemption, you will need to have minimum essential coverage or make a shared responsibility payment.
You can claim most exemptions when you file your tax return. However, you must apply for certain exemptions in advance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, You may be exempt if:
- The minimum amount you must pay for the annual premiums is more than 8.05 percent of your household income
- You have a gap in coverage that is less than three consecutive months
- You qualify for an exemption for one of several other reasons, including having a hardship that prevents you from obtaining coverage, or belonging to a group explicitly exempt from the requirement
