The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides financial assistance through premium tax credits for low and moderate income people who purchase coverage through new Health Insurance Marketplaces. New data shows how many people are eligible for premium tax credits in each state.
Who is Eligible for Marketplace Tax Credits?
To be eligible for premium tax credits (aka health insurance subsidies), individuals must:
-
Be US citizens or legal residents,
-
Have incomes between 100 and 400% of the federal poverty level,
-
Not have access to job-based health insurance or public coverage (e.g., Medicaid or Medicare), and
-
Purchase coverage through the Marketplace.
Eligibility for Marketplace Tax Credits by State
The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) estimated the number of people in each state potentially eligible for marketplace tax credits as well as those who could potentially enroll in coverage.
Here's a look at their state by state analysis:
| Location |
Marketplace Type (2014) |
Individuals Potentially Eligible for Premium Tax Credits through Marketplace |
Individuals Who Could Potentially Enroll in Marketplace Coverage |
Percent of Individuals Potentially Eligible for Premium Tax Credits through Marketplace |
| United States |
|
17,187,000 |
28,605,000 |
60.1% |
| Alabama |
Federally-facilitated |
270,000 |
464,000 |
58.2% |
| Alaska |
Federally-facilitated |
55,000 |
78,000 |
70.5% |
| Arizona |
Federally-facilitated |
313,000 |
551,000 |
56.8% |
| Arkansas |
Partnership |
150,000 |
227,000 |
66.1% |
| California |
State-based |
1,903,000 |
3,291,000 |
57.8% |
| Colorado |
State-based |
254,000 |
501,000 |
50.7% |
| Connecticut |
State-based |
109,000 |
216,000 |
50.5% |
| Delaware |
Partnership |
29,000 |
48,000 |
60.4% |
| District of Columbia |
State-based |
9,000 |
36,000 |
25.0% |
| Florida |
Federally-facilitated |
1,587,000 |
2,545,000 |
62.4% |
| Georgia |
Federally-facilitated |
654,000 |
1,063,000 |
61.5% |
| Hawaii |
State-based |
29,000 |
58,000 |
50.0% |
| Idaho |
State-based
|
130,000 |
202,000 |
64.4% |
| Illinois |
Partnership |
501,000 |
937,000 |
53.5% |
| Indiana |
Federally-facilitated |
354,000 |
525,000 |
67.4% |
| Iowa |
Partnership |
127,000 |
262,000 |
48.5% |
| Kansas |
Federally-facilitated |
161,000 |
298,000 |
54.0% |
| Kentucky |
State-based |
192,000 |
302,000 |
63.6% |
| Louisiana |
Federally-facilitated |
344,000 |
489,000 |
70.3% |
| Maine |
Federally-facilitated |
77,000 |
122,000 |
63.1% |
| Maryland |
State-based |
201,000 |
419,000 |
48.0% |
| Massachusetts |
State-based |
118,000 |
259,000 |
45.6% |
| Michigan |
Partnership |
436,000 |
725,000 |
60.1% |
| Minnesota |
State-based |
90,000 |
298,000 |
30.2% |
| Mississippi |
Federally-facilitated |
204,000 |
298,000 |
68.5% |
| Missouri |
Federally-facilitated |
386,000 |
657,000 |
58.8% |
| Montana |
Federally-facilitated |
97,000 |
152,000 |
63.8% |
| Nebraska |
Federally-facilitated |
122,000 |
239,000 |
51.0% |
| Nevada |
State-based |
155,000 |
249,000 |
62.2% |
| New Hampshire |
Partnership |
81,000 |
137,000 |
59.1% |
| New Jersey |
Federally-facilitated |
400,000 |
628,000 |
63.7% |
| New Mexico |
State-based
|
118,000 |
193,000 |
61.1% |
| New York |
State-based |
779,000 |
1,264,000 |
61.6% |
| North Carolina |
Federally-facilitated |
684,000 |
1,073,000 |
63.7% |
| North Dakota |
Federally-facilitated |
43,000 |
77,000 |
55.8% |
| Ohio |
Federally-facilitated |
544,000 |
812,000 |
67.0% |
| Oklahoma |
Federally-facilitated |
256,000 |
446,000 |
57.4% |
| Oregon |
State-based |
187,000 |
337,000 |
55.5% |
| Pennsylvania |
Federally-facilitated |
715,000 |
1,276,000 |
56.0% |
| Rhode Island |
State-based |
40,000 |
70,000 |
57.1% |
| South Carolina |
Federally-facilitated |
336,000 |
491,000 |
68.4% |
| South Dakota |
Federally-facilitated |
70,000 |
118,000 |
59.3% |
| Tennessee |
Federally-facilitated |
387,000 |
645,000 |
60.0% |
| Texas |
Federally-facilitated |
2,049,000 |
3,143,000 |
65.2% |
| Utah |
Federally-facilitated |
206,000 |
331,000 |
62.2% |
| Vermont |
State-based |
27,000 |
45,000 |
60.0% |
| Virginia |
Federally-facilitated |
518,000 |
823,000 |
62.9% |
| Washington |
State-based |
272,000 |
507,000 |
53.6% |
| West Virginia |
Partnership |
71,000 |
117,000 |
60.7% |
| Wisconsin |
Federally-facilitated |
301,000 |
482,000 |
62.4% |
| Wyoming |
Federally-facilitated |
47,000 |
80,000 |
58.8%
|
Data and Image Source: KFF
87% Receiving Tax Credits, Average Subsidized Marketplace Health Plan Costs $82/month
According to a separate report by the Health and Human Services (HHS), of those who have purchased coverage through the federally-run Marketplace, 87% are receiving tax credits and are paying an average of $82/month across all types of plans.