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Notice: During the government shutdown, continue using your 2025 health insurance plan and providers. Use this site to apply for and enroll in 2026 coverage during Marketplace Open Enrollment.

Saving money on health insurance

How to save on your monthly insurance bill with the premium tax credit

Notice:
The additional
available because of the COVID pandemic will end on December 31, 2025. If you qualify for savings in 2026, you'll likely pay more for your Marketplace plan premium. Update your application to find out if you qualify for savings and compare plans to find one that meets your needs.
When you apply for Marketplace coverage, you’ll find out if you qualify for the
that lowers your
.
The amount of your premium tax credit depends on the household size and estimated income you put on your Marketplace application.
Find out if your household size and estimated income qualifies for the premium tax credit.
You can use some, all, or none of the tax credit each month. The Marketplace will send the tax credit directly to your insurance company, so you’ll pay less each month. This is called taking an "advance payment of the premium tax credit."
If you're worried about having to pay back advance payments of the premium tax credit, you can decide to use less or none of the tax credit toward your premium each month.

How do I change the amount of the premium tax credit I use?

To adjust the amount of the premium tax credit you use:
  1. Log into your Marketplace account and select your current application.
  2. Select "Report a Life Change."
  3. Select "Report a change in my household income, size, in-state address, or other information," then “Update your application.”
  4. Go through your application and report any changes to your expected income, household members, address, new health coverage offers, and other information. You don’t have to change anything if you don’t have expected changes.
  5. Review your Eligibility Results and continue to pick a plan even if you’re not changing plans.
  6. If you qualify for the premium tax credit, you’ll see “Decide how much to lower your monthly premium.” Select an option—use all, use some, or use none. If you select “use some,” you can enter the amount you want to use.
  7. Continue through your application to confirm your changes.

When your household size or income changes, so does your premium tax credit

If your income changes or if you add or lose household members, your premium tax credit will probably change.
It’s important to report income and household changes to the Marketplace right away.
  • If your income goes up or you lose a household member: You’ll probably qualify for less premium tax credit. You may want to use less of the premium tax credit each month so you don't use more tax credit than you qualify for.
  • If your income goes down or you add a household member: You’ll probably qualify for more premium tax credit. You may want to use more of the premium tax credit to lower your monthly premium.
If at the end of the year you’ve used more advance payments of the premium tax credit than you qualify for, you'll have to pay the difference back when you file your federal taxes. This is called “reconciling” the advance payments of the premium tax credit and the actual premium tax credit you qualify for based on your final income for the year.

More answers: The premium tax credit

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