My wife is insured by the Marketplace, but there are no credits being paid directly to the insurance company. For many years, we have elected to not estimate our income at the Marketplace web site site (www.healthcare.gov) and not get any monthly advance payments paid to the insurance company. Why? Because the Marketplace isn't designed for taypayers like us, because our taxable income will most likely be whatever number I want it to be.
We do have some income, primarily in the form of retirement annuity payments from the United States Railroad Retirement Board. Those payments alone will let us qualify for a Premium Tax Credit (PTC) on our tax return, but I might decide to make an IRA to Roth IRA conversion at year-end.
You are incorrect when you claim "... the credit goes directly to the insurance company. You do not get it." We claim the PTC (which is a refundable credit) on our federal income tax return.
