Covered California Form 1095-A: What It Is and How to Fix Errors
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If you had individual or family health insurance through Covered California, you may receive IRS Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. This is an important tax document that contains information about your health coverage and any advance premium tax credit you received during the year.
Before filing your taxes, review your Form 1095-A carefully. Incorrect coverage dates, household members, premiums or financial assistance amounts can affect your tax return.
Quick answer: Form 1095-A shows information about your Covered California health insurance, including the months you had coverage, monthly premiums and advance premium tax credits. You use information from Form 1095-A when completing IRS Form 8962 to calculate and reconcile the Premium Tax Credit.
If you are looking for a broader overview of coverage, plans, costs and enrollment, see our complete guide to Covered California health insurance.
What Is Form 1095-A?
Form 1095-A is a federal tax form issued to people who had qualifying individual or family health insurance through a Health Insurance Marketplace such as Covered California.
The form reports information about your Marketplace coverage for the previous tax year.
Covered California generally sends Form 1095-A by January 31. It can also be available through your Covered California online account.
What Information Is on Form 1095-A?
Form 1095-A includes information such as:
- Names of household members enrolled in the health plan
- Months each person had Marketplace coverage
- Monthly health insurance premiums
- The applicable second-lowest-cost Silver plan premium
- Advance payments of the Premium Tax Credit, or APTC
This information is used when determining the Premium Tax Credit on your federal income tax return.
Why Do I Need Form 1095-A?
If advance premium tax credits were paid toward your health insurance during the year, those payments generally need to be reconciled with the Premium Tax Credit you are actually eligible to receive based on your final tax information.
IRS Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit, is used for this calculation and reconciliation.
Your Form 1095-A provides the Marketplace information needed to complete Form 8962.
Learn more about how Covered California subsidies and financial help work.
What Does It Mean to Reconcile My Premium Tax Credit?
When you enroll through Covered California, financial assistance can be paid in advance to your insurance company to reduce your monthly premium.
The amount is generally based on information available when you enroll, including your estimated household income.
When you file your federal income tax return, the advance financial assistance you received is compared with the Premium Tax Credit you were actually eligible for based on your final tax information.
This process is called reconciliation.
If your income or household circumstances changed during the year, the final amount can be different from the amount originally estimated.
What Should I Check on My Form 1095-A?
Before using your Form 1095-A to prepare your tax return, review it for accuracy.
Check items such as:
- Your name and other identifying information
- The people listed as covered under the plan
- The months each person had coverage
- Coverage start and termination dates
- Monthly premium amounts
- Advance premium tax credit amounts
If something does not match your records, determine whether the form needs to be corrected before using it to prepare your tax return.
What if My Form 1095-A Is Incorrect?
If you believe your Covered California Form 1095-A contains an error, Covered California provides a process for requesting a correction or disputing information on the form.
Errors that may require correction can include:
- Incorrect or missing household members
- Incorrect personal information
- Missing months of coverage
- Incorrect coverage start or termination dates
- Incorrect monthly premium amounts
- Incorrect advance premium tax credit amounts
Covered California may require information about your case, health plan and household when reviewing the correction request.
How Do I Request a 1095-A Correction?
Covered California provides an online process for disputing or correcting tax-form information.
If Covered California determines that the original Form 1095-A was incorrect, it can issue an updated tax form.
When you receive a corrected Form 1095-A, use the corrected information rather than the previous form when preparing the applicable tax forms.
If you already filed your federal tax return using an incorrect Form 1095-A, you may need to speak with a qualified tax professional about whether an amended tax return is necessary.
What Does “Corrected” Mean on Form 1095-A?
If the Corrected box is checked on an updated Form 1095-A, information from the previous form has changed.
Changes can involve personal information, enrolled household members, coverage dates, premiums or premium tax credit amounts.
The corrected form generally replaces the previous Form 1095-A for that coverage.
What Does “Void” Mean on Form 1095-A?
A Form 1095-A marked Void generally means Covered California updated its records to show that the coverage reported on that form should not have been reported as an enrollment for that policy.
If you receive an updated or voided form after already filing your taxes, consult a qualified tax professional regarding the appropriate next step.
Why Does My Form Show $0 in Financial Help?
A Form 1095-A showing no advance premium tax credit does not automatically mean the form is incorrect.
For example, you may have enrolled in a Covered California plan and paid the full premium without taking financial assistance in advance.
There can also be months when financial assistance does not appear because of changes in enrollment or premium-payment history.
Review your enrollment records before assuming that a $0 amount is an error.
Why Did I Receive More Than One Form 1095-A?
Receiving more than one Form 1095-A does not necessarily mean there is a problem.
You may receive multiple forms if you changed health plans, household members changed coverage, or other enrollment changes occurred during the year.
Keep all Forms 1095-A you receive and provide them to your tax preparer when applicable.
Where Can I Find My Form 1095-A?
Covered California sends tax forms using the communication preferences associated with your account.
You can also check your Covered California online account for available tax forms.
If you expected a Form 1095-A but did not receive one, check your online Covered California mailbox before requesting another copy.
Will Everyone With Health Insurance Receive a Form 1095-A?
No. Form 1095-A is specifically associated with qualifying individual or family Marketplace coverage.
For example, you generally will not receive a Covered California Form 1095-A for Medi-Cal, employer-sponsored coverage or a Covered California for Small Business plan.
Other types of health coverage may be reported on different forms, such as Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C.
How Does Income Affect Form 1095-A and Financial Assistance?
Your Form 1095-A reports the advance premium tax credit paid during the year, but your final Premium Tax Credit is determined when your tax information is reconciled.
This is one reason accurate income estimates are important when enrolling through Covered California.
If your income changes during the year, updating your Covered California account can help keep your financial assistance closer to the amount for which you ultimately qualify.
See what counts as income for Covered California for more information.
What if I'm Self-Employed?
Self-employed Californians also receive Form 1095-A when applicable to their Covered California Marketplace coverage.
Because self-employment income can fluctuate, the income estimated during enrollment may differ from the final income reported on your tax return.
See our guide to Covered California for self-employed Californians.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Covered California Form 1095-A?
Form 1095-A is a Health Insurance Marketplace Statement showing information about your Covered California coverage, premiums and advance premium tax credits.
Do I need Form 1095-A to file my taxes?
If you received Marketplace coverage and need to claim or reconcile the Premium Tax Credit, information from Form 1095-A is used to complete IRS Form 8962.
What should I do if my Form 1095-A is wrong?
Review the information carefully and use Covered California's tax-form correction or dispute process if information needs to be corrected.
Can Covered California issue a corrected Form 1095-A?
Yes. If Covered California determines that information on the original form was incorrect, it can issue a corrected form.
Why did I get multiple 1095-A forms?
Multiple forms can be issued when there were changes involving plans, enrollment or household members during the year.
Is Form 1095-A the same as Form 1095-B or 1095-C?
No. Form 1095-A reports qualifying Marketplace coverage. Forms 1095-B and 1095-C generally relate to other types of health coverage.
Need Help With a Covered California Form 1095-A Issue?
Incorrect coverage dates, household members or financial assistance amounts can create problems when it is time to file your taxes.
California Benefits Insurance Center can help you navigate Covered California account and enrollment issues and understand the process for requesting corrections to Covered California information.
Call 800-341-1165 or email health@californiainsurancecenter.com for assistance.
This article is for general informational purposes and is not tax or legal advice. California Benefits Insurance Center does not prepare tax returns or determine tax liability. Consult a qualified tax professional or the IRS for advice regarding your individual tax situation.