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  • Home Knowledge Center Health Insurance Subsidy: Financial Aid for Health Care

    Health Insurance Subsidy: Financial Aid for Health Care

    Find out more about tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.

    Getting federal financial assistance, also known as federal aid, depends on your household size and income. If you qualify, you may be able to get a health plan at a lower cost. These are qualified health plans that come with financial help from the federal government. Here are some key things to know about federal aid:

    Are you eligible for health insurance subsidy?

    Depending on your household size and income, you may qualify for this assistance.

    • People age 18 and older, even students, who file their own federal taxes, may be able to get both types of aid.
    • People who don’t have a job and don't have COBRA coverage may also be able to get one or both types of aid.
    • Native Americans and Alaskan natives may also be able to get help with their Marketplace or Tribal health plan.

    Two Types of Financial Assistance

    There are two ways you may be able to help save money on your health care plan costs. One way is by getting a premium tax credit. The other is by getting a cost-sharing reduction (CSR). Premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions are types of federal financial assistance1 given to people who qualify in order to help make health insurance more affordable.

    Premium Tax Credits Lower Your Health Care Premiums

    Premium tax credits lower the amount you pay monthly for your health care plan. If you qualify, you have two choices for the way you use this aid. After you sign up for your qualified health plan, you can have the federal government pay the tax credit right to the insurance carrier each month. This lowers the monthly premium amount you pay. Your other choice is to get a tax credit when you file your federal income taxes. This means you pay the full amount of your insurance premium each month. Then, you get the total credit after you file your taxes. You can use the premium tax credit toward any qualified health plan on the Marketplace.

    Cost-Sharing Reductions Lower Your Other Costs

    Cost-sharing reductions lower the amount you have to pay out of pocket when you get care, costs like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. To take advantage of these savings, you must qualify and enroll in a Marketplace Silver qualified health plan. There is no option to get cost-sharing reductions by filing a year-end tax return. If you qualify for this type of aid, you pay less out of pocket for things like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance when you get care.

    Federal Health Care Aid at a Glance

    Premium Tax Credit
    Cost-Sharing Reduction
    Am I eligible?
    You may be eligible if:
    • You make up to 400% of the federal poverty level2 ($106,000 for a family of four in 2021)
    • You're not able to get Medicaid or other public health care programs
    • You're not eligible for other coverage, like employer-based coverage
    You may be eligible if:
    • You make up to 250% of the federal poverty level ($66,250 for a family of four in 2021)
    • You're not able to get Medicaid or other public health care programs
    • You're not eligible for other coverage, like employer-based coverage
    Where can I use it?
    Any qualified Marketplace health plan, including eligible health plans purchased directly from Cigna HealthcareSM
    Only on Silver-level qualified Marketplace health plans
    How much can I get?
    Varies based on the number of people in your house and how much they make
    Varies based on the number of people in your house and how much they make
    How does it work?
    • Lowers the cost of your premium each month
    • Can be paid each month by the federal government to your insurer
    • Or you can get credit when you file your federal income taxes
    • Lowers the amount you pay out of pocket for copays, deductibles, and coinsurance

    Find Out If You Can Get Federal Aid

    You may qualify for both a premium tax credit and a cost-sharing reduction. During the Open Enrollment Period, you can find out what you’re eligible for when you apply online through Cigna Healthcare or on the Marketplace and get your results.

    Tags

  • Federal Aid
  • Plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company or its affiliates: For Arizona residents, health plans are offered by Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc. For Georgia residents, health plans are offered by Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc. For Illinois residents, health plans are offered by Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc. For North Carolina residents, health plans are offered by Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc.  For South Carolina residents, health plans are offered by Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc. For Texas residents, health plans are offered by Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc.

    1ObamaCare Subsidies, ObamaCare Facts, February 2021, http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-subsidies/.

    2 Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, Federal Register, February 2021, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/02/01/2021-01969/annual-update-of-the-hhs-poverty-guidelines.

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    Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of The Cigna Group Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna Healthcare name, logo, and other Cigna Healthcare marks are owned by The Cigna Group Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of The Cigna Group.

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