Qualifying Health Coverage

Any health insurance that meets the Affordable Care Act requirement for coverage. If you have qualifying health coverage (or “minimum essential coverage” or “MEC”) you don’t have to pay the penalty for being uninsured. Examples: individual plans, including Marketplace plans; job-based plans; Medicare; and Medicaid & CHIP.

A more complete list of qualifying health coverage:

  • Job-based plans
  • Health Insurance Marketplace plans
  • Most individual plans bought outside the Marketplace
  • Medicare
  • Medicaid
  • The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
  • TRICARE
  • COBRA
  • Plans sold through the Small Business Health Insurance Program (SHOP) Marketplace

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