What Form 1095-A Is and Why You Need It

Form 1095-A is the tax document your health insurance company sends you each year if you bought coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (also called the ACA marketplace or healthcare.gov). It shows what you paid for insurance, what subsidies the government paid on your behalf, and how many months you had coverage. You need it to file your federal tax return because the IRS wants to verify that any tax credits you received were correct.

If you got health insurance any other way — through your employer, Medicare, Medicaid, or a private plan you bought directly from an insurer — you will not receive a 1095-A. You only get this form if you used the Marketplace.

The form arrives in the mail or through your Marketplace account, usually between mid-January and the end of February, though the important date for insurers to send it is March 2. If you do not receive it by early March, you will need to contact your insurer or the Marketplace directly.

Key Takeaways

  • Form 1095-A comes only from Marketplace plans, not from employer insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid.
  • Your insurer must send it by March 2 each year, but it typically arrives between mid-January and late February.
  • You can retrieve a copy through your Marketplace account (healthcare.gov or your state's Marketplace site) if you do not receive it by mail.
  • The form shows your monthly premiums, the subsidies paid by the government, and the number of months you had coverage — all required information for your tax return.
  • If your insurer never sent it or you lost it, contact them directly or call the Marketplace customer service line for your state.

Check Your Marketplace Account First

The fastest way to get your 1095-A is to log into your Marketplace account online. If you enrolled through healthcare.gov (the federal Marketplace), go to healthcare.gov, sign in with your username and password, and look for a section labeled "Tax Documents" or "1095-A." Most accounts display the form there starting in late January.

If you enrolled through your state's own Marketplace — such as Covered California, New York State of Health, or Massachusetts Health Connector — log into that state's website instead. The location of tax documents varies by state, but it is usually in your account dashboard or under a "Documents" tab. You can read and print the form directly from your account.

This method is faster than waiting for mail and gives you an when ready copy you can use to file your taxes. Write down your login credentials before you start, because you will need them to access the account.

Contact Your Insurance Company if You Cannot Find It Online

If you cannot locate the form in your Marketplace account or you enrolled through a plan that does not use the Marketplace, contact your insurance company directly. Call the customer service number on your insurance card or visit the insurer's website and look for a section on tax documents or forms.

Have your policy number and the year you are asking about ready before you call. Tell the representative you need a copy of your 1095-A form. Most insurers can email or mail you a replacement copy within five to ten business days. If the form was supposed to arrive by March 2 and it is now past that date, the insurer is required to send you a copy on request.

Keep a record of who you spoke with, the date, and what they told you. If the insurer says they already sent it and you never received it, ask them to confirm the mailing address they have on file and request they send a second copy to a different address if needed.

Call the Marketplace Customer Service Line

If you cannot reach your insurance company or they say they did not issue a 1095-A for you, contact the Marketplace directly. The federal Marketplace (healthcare.gov) has a customer service line at 1-800-318-2596, available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.

If you enrolled through a state Marketplace, call that state's customer service line instead. You can find your state's number by visiting healthcare.gov and selecting your state, or by searching "[your state] health insurance marketplace customer service."

Tell the representative your name, date of birth, and the year you need the form for. They can check whether a 1095-A was issued and, if so, which insurance company sent it. If the form was never issued, they can tell you why — sometimes it means the Marketplace did not process your enrollment correctly, or your coverage was terminated before it began. The representative can also help you understand what to do on your tax return if the form is missing.

What to Do if the Form Shows Incorrect Information

Review your 1095-A carefully when you receive it. Check that the months of coverage match the months you actually had insurance, that your name and Social Security number are correct, and that the premium amounts match what you paid or what the Marketplace said you would pay.

If something is wrong, contact your insurance company first. Errors in the number of months covered, the premium amounts, or personal information should be corrected by the insurer before you file your taxes. Ask them to issue a corrected form, which will be labeled as a "corrected" 1095-A. This process usually takes one to two weeks.

If the insurer cannot or will not correct the error, contact the Marketplace. Bring documentation of what the correct information should be — such as your enrollment confirmation, payment records, or coverage termination notice. The Marketplace can investigate and may issue a corrected form on behalf of the insurer, though this takes longer.

Using Your 1095-A to File Your Taxes

When you file your federal tax return, you will need the information from your 1095-A. The form shows the monthly premiums you paid (or that were paid on your behalf), the amount of advance premium tax credits the government paid to your insurer, and the number of months you had coverage.

If you received advance tax credits — meaning the government paid part of your premium directly to your insurer each month — you must report this on your tax return using Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit. Your 1095-A provides the numbers you enter on that form. If you did not receive any credits, you may not need to file Form 8962, but you should still keep your 1095-A with your tax records.

Your tax software (such as TurboTax or H&R Block) will ask you to enter information from your 1095-A, or you can bring the form to a tax preparer. Do not file your return without this information if you received Marketplace coverage, because the IRS will match your return against the 1095-A the insurer filed with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I lost my 1095-A and it is already April?

Contact your insurance company or the Marketplace and request a replacement copy. There is no important date for requesting a duplicate form — you can get one at any time. If you need to file your taxes before it arrives, you can file using the information from your Marketplace account or your insurance payment records, then amend your return once you have the form.

Do I need the 1095-A if I did not receive any tax credits?

You still need to keep it for your records, but you may not need to file Form 8962 with your tax return. However, the IRS has a copy because your insurer filed one with them. It is safer to include the form information on your return to match what the IRS has on file, even if you received no credits.

What if my 1095-A shows I had coverage for months when I was actually uninsured?

Contact your insurance company when ready and ask them to correct the coverage dates. Bring proof of when your coverage actually started or ended — such as your termination notice or enrollment confirmation. A corrected 1095-A will be issued. This matters because the IRS uses this form to verify you had coverage for the months you claim on your return.

Can I file my taxes without my 1095-A?

You can file, but it is risky. The IRS will eventually match your return against the 1095-A your insurer filed, and if the information does not match, the IRS will contact you. It is better to wait for the form or get a replacement copy before filing to avoid delays or corrections later.

Is there a penalty if my insurance company does not send the 1095-A by March 2?

The insurer faces a penalty, not you. However, you are still responsible for reporting the information on your tax return. If you do not receive the form by early March, contact the insurer or Marketplace to request it. You do not have to wait until April to ask for a copy.