"thought we'd already received the credit, and used it to help offset the cost of the ins. Premiums," - yes, the way the system works is that based on your estimated annual income early in the year, the Marketplace pays X/12 amount to the health insurance company as part of your premium. That's what makes it "the Affordable Care Act", i.e., you don't have to pay some or even all of your premium.
"that's what the 1095A form is reporting." - actually, the form 8962 (which is derived from data on the 1095-A reconciles your Premium Tax Credit at the end of the year. That is, you estimated your annual income at the beginning of the year, but this estimate needs to be reconciled at the end of the year. If you received more PTC than you should have based on your actual year-end income, then you have to pay some back. But if you didn't receive enough based on your eventual income, then it is paid to you at the end of the year.
"How can I allocate any to my daughter's return if we've already received the credit? " It is normal (not required, but common) for parents to take 100% of the allocation for a Marketplace policy in lieu of their offspring taking any. This means that if there is any additional PTC to pay (because you made more than you expected over the year), then you parents pay it all. Your daughter would not pay any. But if there were a payment of PTC at the end of the year because you did not make as much as you had expected, then you parents would get all of the extra PTC and your daughter none.
So things are pretty much as they should be, and your understanding of the process is close, so long as you remember that the PTC is given out through the year to the Marketplace, as well as at the end of the year (potentially) depending on the reconciliation.
Make sense?
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