It’s tax time, so consumers are figuring out how to report their health insurance coverage as they prepare to file.  Those covered by the Marketplace in 2015 should have received Form 1095-A – the “Health Insurance Marketplace Statement.”  This form will help consumers accurately file their taxes, but for those with remaining questions, CHIR’s Navigator Resource Guide has some answers.

• I received a Form 1095-A called the “Health Insurance Marketplace Statement” in the mail.   What is it and what do I do with it?

Form 1095-A is the form that the health insurance marketplace uses to report information about your marketplace coverage to the IRS.   The marketplace is required to send all consumers with marketplace coverage this form with information about your coverage and if applicable, any premium tax credits you received in 2015 or will claim.  If you received premium tax credits in 2015, you’ll need this form to complete IRS Form 8962, which is the form you will use to reconcile the amount of any advance premium tax credits you received based on your projected income with what you should have received based on your actual income.

• What if there’s a mistake on my Form 1095-A?

You should contact the Marketplace and tell them about the error so they can resolve the issue or send a corrected Form 1095-A.

Consumers with employer sponsored insurance will not receive a Form 1095-A, but should receive either a 1095-B or 1095-C form. The Guide has an FAQ addressing these consumers as well.

•  I had coverage through my employer last year.  The IRS tax filing instructions say my employer was supposed to provide me with a 1095-B or 1095-C form to demonstrate proof of coverage.  But I’ve never received either of those forms.  What should I do?

You can file your tax return without these forms because they are not required to be filed with your taxes.  These forms provide information about you, and if applicable, your family about health coverage for the tax filing year.  Your employer or health insurer must provide you with a Form 1095-B or 1095-C (depending on how you receive your health insurance coverage) to be kept with your tax records.  For the 2015 tax filing season, large employers and health insurers are not required to provide you with the applicable Form 1095-B or C until March 31, 2016.

For answers to other questions related to enrollment, coverage, and post-enrollment issues, check out our complete Guide, which was developed in collaboration with staff from Georgetown’s Center for Children and Families, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and made possible thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.