Form 1095-A: What It Is and How to Get Yours
Form 1095-A reports your marketplace coverage and advance tax credits. Learn where to find it, what each part means, and what to do if it's wrong.
Form 1095-A is the tax form the health insurance marketplace provides if you had a marketplace plan during the year. The form lists your monthly premiums, your benchmark plan premium, and any advance tax credit paid to your insurer. You use Form 1095-A to complete your federal tax return. This guide shows how to get the form online, what each part means, and what to do if it's wrong.
What is Form 1095-A?
Form 1095-A, the Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, reports your marketplace coverage to you and to the IRS. HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace provides the form, not your insurer. Key facts:
- Who gets it: households with a marketplace plan, except Catastrophic plans
- Who sends it: HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace
- When to expect it: by mid-February
- Earliest online access: as early as mid-January on HealthCare.gov
- Used for: Form 8962, the premium tax credit form
A household that changed plans can receive more than one form. A household with different plans for different members can also get several forms. Use every form when you file.
How do you get Form 1095-A online?
Form 1095-A is available in your online marketplace account. Follow these steps on HealthCare.gov:
- Log in to your Marketplace account
- Select the application for the tax year you are filing, not the current year
- Choose "View all applications" if you don't see it
- Select "Tax forms" from the menu
- Under "Your Form 1095-A," select "Download PDF"
HealthCare.gov also offers a "Find My Application" option if the application doesn't appear. People who can't reach their account can call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. Your insurer cannot send a replacement form.
Where do you get Form 1095-A from a state marketplace?
Form 1095-A comes from your state marketplace if you enrolled through a state-run exchange. HealthCare.gov cannot provide that form. Log in to your state marketplace account and look for a tax forms or documents section. Connect for Health Colorado, for example, handles forms for Colorado enrollees. Call your state marketplace's support line if you can't find the form. Check your enrollment history first if you moved during the year, because you may need a form from two different marketplaces.
What does each part of Form 1095-A mean?
Form 1095-A has three parts. Part III holds the numbers you need for your tax return.
| Section | What it shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Part I | Recipient and policy information | Confirms the right policy and household |
| Part II | Everyone covered by the policy | Confirms names and coverage dates |
| Part III, column A | Monthly enrollment premiums | Your full monthly premium before credits |
| Part III, column B | Second-lowest-cost Silver plan premium | The benchmark used to figure your credit |
| Part III, column C | Monthly advance premium tax credit | Credit paid to your insurer during the year |
Column A may differ from what you paid because of dental benefits or mid-month changes. Part-year coverage should show only the months you had a plan.
How does Form 1095-A affect your taxes?
Form 1095-A feeds Form 8962, the form that reconciles your premium tax credit. Form 8962 compares the credit paid during the year with the credit you qualify for based on actual income. The result goes one of two ways:
- Credit too small: you get the difference as a refundable credit
- Credit too large: you repay the excess with your tax return
You must file Form 8962 if advance credits were paid for your coverage. Skipping Form 8962 can delay your refund and block advance credits in future years.
Can you file your taxes without Form 1095-A?
HealthCare.gov tells enrollees not to file until they have an accurate Form 1095-A. You need its numbers to complete Form 8962. Wait for the form or download it from your account before you file. People who filed before receiving a corrected form may need to file an amended return. A tax professional can tell you whether an amended return makes sense for your numbers.
What should you do if Form 1095-A is wrong?
Form 1095-A errors need different fixes depending on the error type. HealthCare.gov separates the cases this way:
- Name, address, birth date, or Social Security number: no corrected form needed; use the right details on your IRS forms
- Wrong people or wrong months: contact the marketplace for a corrected form
- Column B shows 0 or is blank: use the HealthCare.gov tax tool to find the right benchmark premium
- Form for coverage you never had: contact the marketplace right away
- Voided form: do not use it to file
What is the difference between Form 1095-A, 1095-B, and 1095-C?
Form 1095-A, 1095-B, and 1095-C report different kinds of coverage. Only Form 1095-A feeds Form 8962. The table compares them.
| Form | Coverage type | Sent by | Needed for Form 8962? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1095-A | Marketplace plan | The marketplace | Yes |
| 1095-B | Other minimum essential coverage | Insurer or coverage provider | No |
| 1095-C | Offer of coverage from a large employer | The employer | No |
Frequently asked questions
Do you attach Form 1095-A to your tax return?
You generally use Form 1095-A to complete Form 8962 instead of sending the marketplace statement in as its own filing step. Keep Form 1095-A with your tax records. Tax software asks for the numbers from Part III and fills in Form 8962 from those entries.
Do you need Form 1095-A if you paid the full premium with no tax credit?
You still receive Form 1095-A if you had a marketplace plan without advance credits, unless the plan was Catastrophic. You may still qualify for a premium tax credit when you file. Form 8962 uses the form's numbers to check whether you can claim a credit.
Do you get Form 1095-A with a private plan?
Private plans outside the marketplace don't produce Form 1095-A, and they don't come with premium tax credits. Employer plans use Forms 1095-B or 1095-C instead. Keep those forms with your tax records, even when you don't need to send them in.
Get help with your coverage after tax season
A licensed broker can help you set a better income estimate for next year. I'll review your coverage, update your marketplace income, and compare ACA and private options side by side. My help is free, and your price is the same whether you enroll on your own or with me. I'm a licensed insurance advisor, not a tax advisor, so confirm tax questions with a tax professional. Self-employed filers can also read about the self-employed health insurance deduction.