During the health insurance enrollment process, one of the first questions to answer is “How many people are in your household?” When it comes to the Health Insurance Marketplace, however, this number may differ from the total number of people living in your home. So who’s included and who’s not?
Your household includes yourself, your spouse, and any tax dependents
Three easy rules exist to determine your health insurance household size.
- Include yourself if you’re the primary tax filer
- Include your spouse if you’re legally married
- Include any children you will claim as a tax dependent, including adopted and foster children
You should still include your spouse and tax dependents in your household size even if they don’t need insurance coverage. If you have shared custody of children, only include them during the years you will be claiming them as tax dependents.
You may also include:
- Children under the age of 21 who live with you
- Adult children under the age of 26 if you’d like to cover them under your health insurance plan
- Dependent parents, siblings, or other relatives who you’ll claim on your taxes
- Your unmarried domestic partner if you’ll claim them as a tax dependent and/or if you have a child together
Don’t include:
- Unborn children. You can add your baby to your insurance plan after they’re born. You’ll have up to 60 days to do so after their date of delivery.
- Non-dependent children or relatives who live with you
- A legally separated or divorced spouse
- Your spouse if you’re a victim of domestic violence or spousal abandonment
- Roommates
A few more tips for determining your household size
If you’re not claimed as a tax dependent by someone else and have no dependents, only count yourself. If you’re claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return, you can sign up for a health insurance plan yourself, but you’ll have to pay full price.
If you’re married, you must file a joint federal tax return to be eligible for a premium tax credit and other savings. You can still enroll in a health insurance plan together if you file separately, but you won’t be eligible for discounts. You may also need to complete individual applications for each of you.
If you have a spouse or dependents, you need to include their incomes within the household income section, even if they don’t need insurance. This is because Marketplace savings are calculated based on the income of all members of your household, not just those who need coverage.
That’s all there is to it!
Need more help? Just chat with a member of our concierge team for on-demand answers.
HealthBird Member Concierge
