Health Insurance Tips & Tricks

HealthCare.gov and Paperwork Required

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HealthCare.gov and Paperwork Required-image

Are you stuck dealing with health insurance companies asking for endless amounts of paperwork?


We get it! And are here to help. See below for the types of documents HealthCare.gov are going to want to see to process and activate your policy. More information on how to submit your paperwork can be found here.


Income documents the Marketplace accepts:

  • 1040 federal or state tax return. Note: It must contain your first and last name, income amount, and tax year.
  • Wages and tax statement (W-2 and/ or 1099, including 1099 MISC, 1099G, 1099R, 1099SSA, 1099DIV, 1099SS, 1099INT). Note: It must contain your first and last name, income amount, year, and employer name (if applicable).
  • Pay stub. Note: It must contain your first and last name, income amount, pay period or frequency of pay with the date of payment. If a pay stub includes overtime, please indicate average overtime amount per paycheck.
  • Self-employment ledger documentation (can be a Schedule C, the most recent quarterly or year-to-date profit and loss statement, or a self-employment ledger). Note: It must contain your first and last name, company name, and income amount. If you’re submitting a self-employment ledger, include the dates covered by the ledger, and the net income from profit/loss.
  • Social Security Administration Statements (Social Security Benefits Letter). Note: It must contain first and last name, benefit amount, and frequency of pay.
  • Unemployment Benefits Letter. Note: It must contain your first and last name, source/agency, benefits amount, and duration (start and end date, if applicable)

Documents to confirm self-employment income:

  • 1040 SE with Schedule C, F, or SE (for self-employment income)
  • 1065 Schedule K1 with Schedule E
  • Tax return
  • Bookkeeping records
  • Receipts for all allowable expenses
  • Signed time sheets and receipt of payroll, if you have employees
  • Most recent quarterly or year-to-date profit and loss statement

Documents to confirm unearned income:

  • Annuity statement
  • Statement of pension distribution from any government or private source
  • Worker’s compensation letter
  • Prizes, settlements, and awards, including court-ordered awards letter
  • Proof of gifts and contributions
  • Proof of inheritances in cash or property
  • Proof of strike pay and other benefits from unions
  • Sales receipts or other proof of money received from the sale, exchange, or replacement of things you own
  • Interests and dividends income statement
  • Loan statement showing loan proceeds
  • Royalty income statement or 1099-MISC
  • Proof of bonus/incentive payments
  • Proof of severance pay
  • Pay stub indicating sick pay
  • Letter, deposit, or other proof of deferred compensation payments
  • Pay stub indicating substitute/assistant pay
  • Pay stub indicating vacation pay
  • Proof of residuals
  • Letter, deposit, or other proof of travel/business reimbursement pay

Citizenship documentation the Marketplace will accept:

  • U.S. passport
  • Certificate of Naturalization (N-550/N-570)
  • Certificate of Citizenship (N-560/N-561)
  • State-issued enhanced driver's license (available in Michigan, New York, Vermont, and Washington)
  • Document from federally recognized Indian tribe that includes your name and the name of the federally recognized Indian tribe that issued the document, and shows your membership, enrollment, or affiliation with the tribe. Documents you can provide include:
  • A tribal enrollment card
  • A Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood
  • A tribal census document
  • Documents on tribal letterhead signed by a tribal official

If you don’t have any of the documents above, you can submit 2 documents — one from each list below.

You can submit one of these documents:

  • U.S. public birth certificate
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240, CRBA)
  • Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)
  • Certification of Birth Abroad (FS-545)
  • U.S. Citizen Identification Card (I-197 or the prior version I-179)
  • Northern Mariana Card (I-873)
  • Final adoption decree showing the person’s name and U.S. place of birth
  • U.S. Civil Service Employment Record showing employment before June 1, 1976
  • Military record showing a U.S. place of birth
  • U.S. medical record from a clinic, hospital, physician, midwife, or institution showing a U.S. place of birth
  • U.S. life, health, or other insurance record showing U.S. place of birth
  • Religious record showing U.S. place of birth recorded in the U.S.
  • School record showing the child’s name and U.S. place of birth
  • Federal or state census record showing U.S. citizenship or U.S. place of birth
  • Documentation of a foreign-born adopted child who received automatic U.S. citizenship (IR3 or IH3)

AND one of these documents (that has a photograph or other information, such as your name, age, race, height, weight, eye color, or address):

  • Driver's license issued by a state or territory or ID card issued by the federal, state, or local government
  • School identification card
  • U.S. military card or draft record or military dependent’s identification card
  • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card
  • Voter Registration Card
  • A clinic, doctor, hospital, or school record, including preschool or daycare records (for children under 19 years old)
  • 2 documents containing consistent information that proves your identity, like employer IDs, high school and college diplomas, marriage certificate divorce decrees, property deeds, or title

Social Security documentation the Marketplace will accept:

  • Social Security card
  • 1040 Tax Return (federal or state versions acceptable)
  • W2 and/or 1099s (includes 1099 MISC, 1099G, 1099R, 1099SSA, 1099DIV, 1099S, 1099INT)
  • W4 Withholding Allowance Certificate (federal or state versions acceptable)
  • 1095 (includes 1095A, 1095B, 1095C)
  • Pay stub documentation
  • Social Security Administration documentation (includes 4029)
  • Military record
  • U.S. Military ID card
  • Military dependent’s ID card
  • Unemployment Benefits (Unemployment Benefits Letter)
  • Court Order Granting a Name Change, that must have your original first and last name, new first and last name, and SSN
  • Divorce decree

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