Subsidies and tax credits
Most people who buy on the Marketplace qualify for help that lowers their monthly premium. How much depends on your income and household size.
Premium tax credit
This is the main help. It lowers what you pay each month, and it does so directly: the Marketplace sends the credit to the insurer and you pay the difference. You don't wait until tax time to receive it, though you can choose to take it all at filing instead.
The amount depends on two things: your household's estimated income for the coverage year and how many people are in it. You can use all of the credit, some of it, or none.
Cost-sharing reductions
This is a second kind of help, separate from the tax credit and added on top. It lowers what you pay when you use the insurance: deductible, copays and coinsurance.
There's a condition worth understanding well: it only applies if you choose a silver-tier plan. If you qualify for this reduction and pick a bronze plan for its lower premium, you're giving it up — and the year's total cost can end up higher.
How to know what you get
There's no general table for it: it depends on your ZIP, your age, your household size and your estimated income. Our quoter calculates the credit applied to each plan available in your county and shows you the price with the help already taken off.
You can also check it directly at HealthCare.gov, the Marketplace's official site.
Other routes to coverage
If your income is low, you might qualify for Medicaid or, for children, for CHIP. Unlike the Marketplace, these programmes accept applications any time of year, with no enrollment period to wait for. If you qualify, the quoter will tell you.
To know when you can use these credits, see enrollment periods.