Marketplace Checklist Walkthrough: Gathering Your Info to Apply

From Obamacare? Marketplace? The Exchange?: A Comprehensive Guide (Part 2: Apply. Compare. Enroll.) COMING SOON!

Gathering Information Using the Ready to Apply? Checklist!

In the Obamacare? Marketplace? The Exchange: A Comprehensive Guide (COMING SOON!), I briefly discussed the information you need to submit when completing your Health Insurance Marketplace® application, and now it's time to really delve into the specifics of that.

In this guide, I've shared all of the resources and tools that I personally utilize when preparing my application, along with some additional materials. If you have any questions while compiling your information, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can also always contact the Marketplace Call Center (1-800-318-2596) or find a wealth of cheat sheets and information on both HealthCare.gov and CMS.gov.

Goal: gather information for an easier application process

The goal of this activity is to provide you with some practical tips to help you gather all the necessary paperwork for your Marketplace application ahead of time. This way, the actual application process can go quickly and smoothly. It’s really important to be as accurate as possible when filling out your application.

steps-to-enroll-remix-min While you can always add or fix any incorrect or missing information later, it might cause some delays in processing your application, which could push back when your insurance starts. You want to be able to use your insurance right after you sign up and pay, so getting everything in order before you apply is the best way to make that happen.

I know it can feel a bit overwhelming at first, but trust me, this checklist is a lifesaver! It actually gets easier each year as you become more familiar with the process. You’ll find that throughout the year, you’ll know exactly what you need for the next Open Enrollment Period, so you can set things aside and be ready to go. Personally, I keep both a digital file folder on my computer and a physical one in my cabinet for my documents, and it really makes things convenient!

Try to think of this as an exciting process if you can because it really will be such a huge relief when you’re done and you know that you’re covered by a health plan. Not just any health plan but one that you can afford, and that you’ve verified will cover the specific needs of you and your family.

No SSN?

NOTE: If you or a member of your household is applying without a Social Security Number, no worries! I have a section of information and links for you at No SSN? How to Complete Your Marketplace Application. Also, for more information about coverage for lawfully present immigrants, as well as eligibility as a “qualified non-citizen,” visit Health coverage for lawfully present immigrants | HealthCare.gov

Follow along with the complete checklist

We’ll be following along with the Ready to Apply? Checklist (pdf) to make sure you don’t forget anything along the way. It's free to download or print (without having to supply any information or email address) so you can use it now and review it again later to double check your work if needed.

Let’s dive right in and get ready to apply!

The step-by-step guide starts here:

Basic information about you

Your full name, as it appears on your Social Security Card
Date of birth
Social Security Number (SSN)

No SSN? No worries! Check out Applying for Marketplace Insurance Without a SSN for a full guide and links to even more information.

Information about your household size

You’ll need to figure out who in your household will apply together before you start your application. You will be asked to provide information about each person in your household, even those NOT applying for coverage.
For the Marketplace, your household usually includes the tax filers and their tax dependents, but there are exceptions.
Sometimes it includes people you live with who aren’t in your tax household.
Include yourself on your application. As you fill it out, you may be asked questions about the following people:
- Your spouse
- Your children who live with you, even if they make enough money to file a tax return themselves
- Anyone you include on your tax return as a dependent, even if they don’t live with you
- Anyone else under 21 who you take care of and lives with you
- Your unmarried partner, only if one or both of these apply:
  - They’re your dependent for tax purposes
  - They’re the parent of your child

For more information, call the Marketplace Call Center (1-800-318-2596) or check with:

Who’s included in your household | HealthCare.gov

Home and/or mailing address for all applicants

Where you live can affect your eligibility for different health care options.

Select your state at the beginning of the application.
Enter your home address to show whether or not you’re a resident of the state where you’re looking for coverage.
You’ll be asked for your mailing address. This is usually the same as your home address. If it’s not, provide a mailing address in the state you live in.
If someone else on your application has a different home or mailing address, you’ll need to share that, too.

Info for everyone applying for coverage (SSN, birth dates, etc.)

Your Marketplace application will ask for basic information about everyone applying for coverage, including their relationship to you.

Social Security Number for each person

The application will ask for each person’s 9 digit SSN, even those not applying for coverage. The Marketplace will confirm the SSNs with Social Security, after you give permission at the start of the application.
If you don’t provide an SSN, you may need to provide more information at a later time.
If someone in the household who is seeking coverage does not have an SSN, contact a Navigator through the Marketplace Call Center (1-800-318-2596), or a local broker/agent.
If the person without an SSN is a non-citizen, they may need to provide their USCIS number or other immigration documents to verify their status. A list of acceptable immigration documents is available here: https://www.healthcare.gov/help/immigration-document-types/
NOTE: Leaving the SSN field blank on the application can cause an error and possibly a delay in processing, so it’s best to try to find out exactly what to do at the time you’re submitting your app. You can close out of your application and return to it later if you need time to look up what to do or what to enter here, but do not proceed with the SSN field left blank (unless directed to do so by someone trained to assist with Marketplace applications.)

For more information about individuals without an SSN, see

No SSN? How to Complete Your Marketplace Application

For more details about what information you need to have for everyone in the household, you can find it at

https://www.healthcare.gov/help/what-do-i-need-to-enter-about-each-person/

Info about the professional helping you apply (if any)

If a professional is helping you complete your application, you’ll enter their information here.

These professionals include:

Navigators
Certified Application Counselors (CAC)
In-person assistance personnel
Agents/Brokers

For Navigators, CACs, or in-person assisters, enter their name, organization, and identification number.
- The ID number is a unique alphanumeric ID (13 letters and numbers).
For agents and brokers, enter the following:
- The agent/broker’s FFM User ID: a unique ID that the agent or broker creates when registering with the Marketplace.
- The agent/broker’s National Producer Number (NPN): a unique number (up to 10 digits) that’s assigned to each licensed agent or broker.
  - You can locate an NPN by visiting the National Insurance Producer Registry.

Info about how you'll file your taxes

If you file federal income taxes and are married, the Marketplace needs to know if you file separately or jointly.
You’ll also be asked about who you claim as a tax dependent.

Employer/income info for every member of your household

Your Marketplace application asks about the income and expenses of everyone in your household, even those not applying for coverage.
The Marketplace counts these as income:
- Wages and salaries, as reported on each person’s W-2 form and pay stubs
- Tips
- Net income from any self-employment or business
- Unemployment compensation
- Social Security payments, including disability payments (but NOT Supplemental Security Income (SSI))
- Alimony for divorces or separations finalized before January 1, 2019
- Retirement or pension income, including most IRA or 401k withdrawals
- Investment income, like dividends or interest
- Rental income
- Other taxable income

For details about income or what sources to include, visit: What’s included as income | HealthCare.gov

If you still have questions, try this as well: Publication 17 (2024), Your Federal Income Tax | Internal Revenue Service

Info about your estimated annual income

Your Marketplace application will ask for an estimate of what your household’s income will be in the year you’re applying for coverage.
If you’re not sure, it’s okay to make your best estimate.
- For help with this, check out How to estimate your expected income and count household members | HealthCare.gov
If your income changes, or is different than what you estimated, you’ll need to update this information later.
- Helpful links re: reporting changes:
For help calculating household income:
- Income Calculator Tool: Calculate yearly income

Policy numbers for household members with current health plans

Your Marketplace application will ask if anyone in your household is currently enrolled in health coverage, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, TRICARE, VA health care program, Peace Corps, COBRA, retiree insurance, or coverage through individual insurance (including Marketplace coverage) or an employer.
If anyone has coverage now, you may need to enter their policy numbers.
- You can find this information on their insurance card or documents they get from their plan.
Finding this information and having it ready at the time you apply can save you the time and hassle of having to update it later, and from the possibility of a delay in the start of new coverage.

Info about any job-based plans available to household members

Your Marketplace application will ask about any job-based plan for which you or anyone in your household are eligible.
It will ask for employer contact information for each person in your household who has a job.
- You can use this worksheet to help collect this information: Employer Coverage Tool
You’ll fill out this worksheet even for coverage you’re eligible for but don’t enroll in.
You’ll also fill it out for each family member who’s eligible for traditional health coverage through a job, even if they aren’t enrolled in it OR applying for Marketplace coverage.
You can even print it out and have the person who handles insurance at your work help complete it if you’re unsure about anything.
Download or print the form here: Employer Coverage Tool

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) notice (if applicable)

If someone works for a business that offers help paying for a health plan or health care expenses through an individual coverage HRA or qualified small employer HRA, use the notice from the employer to complete your Marketplace application.
To learn more, visit Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs): 3 things to know | HealthCare.gov

Wrapping it up!

If anything is not covered by those links and you’re even a tiny bit unsure of what to do, you can always contact me, call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596, contact Help On Demand, or Find Local Help for more details/assistance. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to get these figures as accurate as you possibly can to avoid delays or issues later if something has to be corrected. It’s also important since income is such a big factor in determining how much financial assistance you may receive.

Make sure to run through your Ready to Apply? Checklist one more time when you think you’ve got everything together, just to be sure. I know it seems like a lot to mess with but it gets easier every time you do it and it will be worth it when you have the peace of mind of knowing that you and your family have health coverage.

Thanks so much for allowing me to provide some guidance through this process. I hope it’s been helpful and that you cruise through your application with the greatest of ease!

(This has been based on a combination of two checklists that I created for myself to use before I do my application each year. The two source documents are:
Get Ready to Apply for or Re-Enroll in Your Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage and
My Marketplace Application Checklist | CMS)

MOVING FORWARD!

If you or someone in your household is applying WITHOUT A SSN, continue to the next specialty page: No SSN? How to Complete Your Marketplace Application.
If not, the Resources page is a great reference with access to Links Roundup (every link in the Comprehensive Guide & the entire Jensurance website), Ready to Apply? Checklist! to download and/or print, and Glossary of Insurance Terms to Understand Your Plan. Finally, there’s the Infographics Gallery with all of the custom made infographics used in this guide and on my website.

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