After looking at the various exemptions, here is your dilemma: any income-based exemption is computed using your modified adjusted gross income for the year. So if you earned little during the first 6 months and then had a reasonable paying job the second 6 months, you'll probably wind up above the two thresholds that would relieve you of the mandate requirement: the filing threshold ($10,350 single) and the 138% of federal poverty-level threshold for residents of states that didn't expand medicaid ($16,000+ based on 2015 figures). In theory, the way this should have played out was that you got a policy and a subsidy to help you pay for coverage those first 6 months, then you reduced the subsidy once you got a job and had more income those second 6 months. The end result being full-year coverage.
I don't see an exemption for you. But here are some links that will provide you with information about the coverage requirements and the exemptions. You can explore these and arrive at your own conclusion. This link is to healthcare.gov and regards lack of coverage: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="
https://www.healthcare.gov/taxes/no-health-coverage/">https://www.healthcare.gov/taxes/no-health-cov... link is to irs.gov and regards the exemptions to the penalty: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="
https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/individuals-and-families/aca-individual-shared-responsibilit... this link is to the IRS Form 8965 instructions, which is the form to claim the exemptions: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8965.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8965.pdf</a>.
