Will I Owe the Fee for a Gap in Health Coverage?
Hi, I have had regular health insurance through my university for the past five years. However, due to changes in coverage, I am going to have a gap in insurance from August 15, 2015 to January 8, 2016. Will I be charged a fee if I don’t have any health insurance for this period? I’m a student, so I cannot really afford to pay health insurance on my own and am hoping I can simply go without for these few months.
Answer
If you have a gap in health coverage you'll owe 1/12 of the fee for every month you don't have coverage or an exemption. That being said everyone gets a short coverage gap exemption for 2 months maximum and there are a number of other exemptions due to things like income (check out the exemptions here).
If your income is low enough you may qualify for Medicaid or Marketplace cost assistance. You should apply to HealthCare.Gov about 30 days before you lose coverage to see what your options are (once you lose coverage you'll have a 60 day window to enroll in the Marketplace via special enrollment). They can differ by state and income, but HealthCare.Gov is always there to help.