Health insurance if you work part-time
If you work part-time and can’t get job-based health insurance, you can buy health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. You may qualify for savings based on your income.
If your employer doesn’t offer health insurance to part-time employees
Employers aren’t required to provide health insurance for part-time employees, even if they provide coverage for full-time employees.
If your employer doesn’t offer you insurance coverage, you can fill out an application through the Marketplace. You’ll find out if you qualify for:
- A health insurance plan with savings on your monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs based on your household size and income.
- Free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
You’ll learn if you qualify for these options when you fill out a Marketplace insurance application.
Most Americans must have qualifying health coverage or pay a penalty. This is true no matter what your job status is.
If your employer does offer health insurance to part-timers
If you’re offered health coverage by your employer, you can buy insurance through the Marketplace instead. But you may not qualify for a premium tax credit and other savings based on your income.
You’ll be eligible for savings only if the insurance your employer offers isn’t considered affordable or doesn’t meet certain minimum standards. Learn how to find out if your job-based offer meets these standards.
More answers
- What if I work part-time and my spouse has insurance through a job?
It depends on whether the coverage is offered to spouses and dependents.
- If your spouse’s job-based insurance isn’t offered to spouses or dependents: You can buy health insurance through the Marketplace. You may be able to save money on your monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs. This will depend on your household size and income.
- If your spouse’s job-based insurance is offered to spouses or other family members but you don’t enroll in it: You may not qualify for savings. It will depend on whether the job-based plan you’re offered is considered affordable and meets certain minimum value standards.
Learn how to determine if the employer’s insurance is affordable and meets minimum standards.