Due to federal tax law changes, you are no longer required to have minimum essential health coverage for federal tax purposes. Beginning with tax year 2019, the federal individual shared responsibility payment was reduced to $0.
You may still receive Form 1095-B each year from your health coverage provider. While the form contains important information about your health insurance coverage, it is generally not needed to complete your federal tax return.
Form 1095-B Is Not Included With Your Tax Return
Form 1095-B is an informational document. You do not attach it to your federal tax return, and in most cases, you do not need to enter any information from it into your tax software.
Keep a copy of the form with your tax records in case you need it later. If you have questions about the information reported on the form, contact the organization that issued it.
If you did not receive Form 1095-A from the Health Insurance Marketplace, answer "No" when asked whether you had Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurance.
What Is Form 1095-B?
Form 1095-B, Health Coverage, reports information about individuals who had minimum essential health coverage during the year. The form shows which members of your household were covered and the months they had qualifying health insurance.
The information on Form 1095-B can help you verify your prior-year health coverage and maintain accurate tax records. Although the federal shared responsibility payment no longer applies, some taxpayers may still want to keep the form as proof of coverage.
You generally do not need to wait for Form 1095-B to arrive before filing your tax return if you already know your health coverage information.
Who Sends Form 1095-B?
You may receive Form 1095-B from a variety of health coverage providers, including:
- Insurance companies that provide coverage outside the Health Insurance Marketplace
- Government programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP
- Employers that offer self-insured health plans and are not required to provide Form 1095-C
- Other organizations that provide qualifying health coverage
How Is Form 1095-B Different From Form 1095-A and Form 1095-C?
Form 1095-B reports health coverage provided by insurers, government programs, and certain employers. It is generally for informational purposes only and usually does not affect your federal tax return.
Form 1095-A is issued by the Health Insurance Marketplace and is used to complete Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit. If you received Form 1095-A, you may need to enter the information from that form when preparing your return.
Form 1095-C is provided by certain employers and reports health coverage offered through an employer-sponsored plan. Most taxpayers do not need to enter information from Form 1095-C on their federal return.
What Should I Do With My Form 1095-B?
Once you receive Form 1095-B:
- Review the information for accuracy.
- Verify the coverage information for yourself and any covered family members.
- Keep the form with your tax records.
- Contact the issuer if any information appears incorrect.