Many Nevada residents need help paying for health insurance. As a result the Affordable Care Act created tax credits that help reduce the cost of insurance for thousands. To be eligible for these tax credits individuals must meet certain requirements including enrolling through Healthcare.gov between November 1st and January 31st. This is the annual Open Enrollment period for the next few years.
Exceptions to the Open Enrollment dates exist for people who are moving to Nevada, having a baby or loosing coverage through a job. This exception is called a Qualified Life Event, and it allows a mid-year enrollment. Because so many of these mid year enrollments have been happening, new guidelines were released about Qualified Life Events. Specifically, they want documentation in order to prove a Qualified Life Event.
The most common Qualified Life Events:
- Loss of Minimum Essential Coverage. (changing jobs, losing a grandfathered plan…)
- Change in place of living.
- Birth.
- Gaining a dependent through adoption, foster care, or court ordered enrollment.
- Marriage or Divorce.
Proving a Qualified Life Event
Nevada residents can apply for a plan without the proof in hand showing their Qualified Life Event. They are given 30 days to submit the documentation or their plan will cancel an, as a result, they could owe any tax credit they have taken back to the government. When a Nevada resident completes an application, they will receive an Eligibility Notice. This notice will include a lot of information but most importantly the deadline date to submit documentation.
It’s important that the documents are turned in based on what Healthcare.gov has asked for. Most of the request will probably fit in to one of these categories:
- Proof of income
- Proof of citizenship
- Proof of ineligibility for Medicaid / CHIP
- Proof of incarceration status
- Proof of ineligibility for Tricare (Military Only)
Healthcare.gov has created a list of acceptable documents based on which verification they need.
