The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the Affordable Care Act penalty starting with tax year 2019.
The products and programs listed below may help you pay for certain medical services, but they don't meet the Affordable Care Act (ACA) minimum requirement for health insurance.
California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island continue to assess a health insurance penalty for uninsured taxpayers. If you are filing taxes this year for one of these states and this is the only coverage you have, you may have to pay a penalty on your state tax return. (Vermont requires health insurance, but as of now, there's no penalty for noncompliance.)
Other types of insurance:
- Dental plans
- Vision plans
- Car insurance
- Homeowner’s insurance
- Travelers insurance
- Accident or disability policies
- Short-term plans and long-term care plans
Limited government programs:
- Workers' compensation
- Short-term Medicaid for medically needy, emergency or 209(b) coverage and pregnancy-related services
- Supplemental Medicare like Part D and Medigap, or enrolled in Medicare Part B only
- TRICARE plans that only cover care at military hospitals and clinics (aka "direct care" or "line of duty care")
Limited individual plans:
- Plans that offer only discounts on medical services
- Plans that offer coverage only for a specific disease or condition
- Plans that pay you a set amount if you are sick or in the hospital
If you're not sure if the coverage you had counts, call your provider and ask if your plan is recognized as minimum essential coverage.
