Enrollment itself takes twenty minutes. What drags it out is having to stop and hunt for a piece of paper. Here's the list, and what to do if you're missing one.
What you need from each person in the household
| Document | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Social Security number | To verify identity and income. For each person who will be on the plan. |
| Immigration document, if applicable | Green card, work permit or whatever document you have. The document number is what's asked for. |
| Date of birth | It determines the premium; age weighs heavily on price. |
| Address where you live | It defines your county, and the county defines which plans and prices apply to you. |
What you need about money
| Document | When you need it |
|---|---|
| Recent pay stubs | If you're on payroll. The last two or three are enough. |
| Last year's tax return | It helps you estimate, though the number that counts is this year's. |
| Record of income and expenses | If you're self-employed. A notebook or a spreadsheet will do. |
| Social Security letter | If you receive benefits, the annual letter stating the amount. |
| Prior year Form 1095-A | If you already had a Marketplace plan. |
If you're not sure how to estimate your income, I cover that separately in how to calculate your income for the Marketplace. It's the number most often reported wrong.
If you're enrolling through a special enrollment period
On top of the above, you have to prove the event. The most common is the letter stating you're losing coverage and from what date — from the employer, the carrier, or the state if you're coming off Medicaid.
The specific cases that open a special enrollment period are in this guide.
The coverage termination letter is the document that most often goes missing, and without it the special enrollment period falls apart. As soon as it arrives, take a photo and save it.
If you're missing something
Don't cancel the enrollment over one document. In many cases you can enroll first and provide the document afterwards, within a deadline. What you can't do is let the date pass.
If you can't find your Social Security number or your immigration document, there are ways to get a replacement. Tell me what you're missing and I'll tell you where to request it.
One detail about family
You can enroll some household members and not others. If your children are citizens, they qualify even if you don't, and applying for coverage for those who do qualify does not harm the rest of the household.
I clarify it because it's the doubt that most often stops an entire family, especially in Georgia, where four in ten Hispanics are uninsured.
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General information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. The rules can change. For your specific case, message me. Omar Mendoza, licensed agent — NPN 21726482.