At the federal level, having health insurance is no longer a legal requirement. However, some states in the U. S. require citizens to get coverage or pay a tax penalty.
There is no longer a federal penalty for not having health insurance. In states that require health insurance and have a penalty, such as Massachusetts, California, New Jersey and Rhode Island, the consensus is that you must have at least nine months of health insurance coverage throughout the year. If you lose coverage for a month or two, you probably won't be penalized, but you should be sure to document this gap for your taxes. Health plans that meet all the requirements applicable to other qualified health plans (QHP), but that do not cover any benefits other than three primary care visits per year before the plan's deductible is reached can be found on the Health Insurance Marketplace website at HealthCare.
If you live or are moving to a state that requires health insurance, but health insurance still seems like an expensive and unnecessary cost to you, you can always check if you qualify for a subsidy that reduces your premiums. Requiring health insurance also essentially prevents health insurance companies from denying coverage to those who need it most. The goal of requiring health insurance is to prevent people from only buying health care plans if they know they're going to need them. Taking a closer look at affordable health insurance in these states is crucial if you want to avoid paying an income tax penalty but have trouble paying for health insurance.
If you're thinking of moving to a new state and are looking for individual or family health insurance options, you may have questions about which states require health insurance. The Department of Health and Human Services further confirms that, with the health insurance markets established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a record 35 million now have ACA-related coverage. This website may not display all the data on the qualified health plans offered in your state through the Health Insurance Marketplace website. A sudden loss of health care coverage or any other major life-altering event, such as a divorce or a move, may allow you to enroll in a health insurance plan 60 days before or after the event.
The amount of the penalty varies depending on income, age and family size, up to 50% of the minimum monthly premium payment that the person would have qualified for through Health Connector, the Massachusetts health insurance exchange.
