My employer won’t fill out the form that asks about the affordability of our job-based health plan. I think my job-based plan is unaffordable and that’s why I’m not enrolled in it. Can I go ahead and apply for Marketplace coverage and subsidies without that form?

Your employer is not required to fill out the form that asks about affordability of your job-based health plan. If for any reason you cannot obtain this information from your employer, you should report to the Marketplace what you know, yourself, about your eligibility for employer sponsored coverage, the cost of that coverage, and whether it meets minimum value. The Marketplace may try to follow up with your employer and collect or verify this information. The Marketplace will determine your eligibility for subsidies based on the information you provided or based on any information the Marketplace was able to obtain on its own through other follow up with your employer.

Although employers aren’t required to provide you this information up front, most are expected to do so.  All employers are required to provide you with this information at year end.  In January, your employer will be required to provide you with a Form 1095-C that indicates whether health benefits they offered to you in the prior calendar year meet the requirements for affordability and minimum value.