Here’s the Penalty for Not Having Health Insurance

If you qualify for an exemption under the ACA, you won’t be charged a penalty for not having health insurance. You won’t have to pay a fee if:

• The most affordable coverage costs more than 8.13% of your household income
• You were uninsured for less than three consecutive months of the year
• You are exempt from filing a tax return because your income is too low
• You are Native American or eligible for health services through an Indian Health Services provider
• Your religion objects to the use of insurance
• You’re in prison
• You belong to a health care sharing ministry
• You have been abroad for more than one year
• You qualify for a hardship exemption due to an issue such as homelessness, bankruptcy, eviction or similarly trying circumstances, listed here.

If you believe you qualify for an exemption, you can claim it when you file your tax return, or apply for an exemption on the Healthcare.gov website.

Buying health insurance and avoiding a penalty

If you can’t get health insurance through a workplace, the health insurance marketplace at Healthcare.gov is a good place to start. You can search for plans and prices there, or be directed to your state’s marketplace.

Open enrollment for ACA health plans — during which you can sign up for coverage for the next year — only lasts for 45 days: Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2017. Outside of open enrollment, you may be able to sign up if you have a qualifying life event, such as a recent marriage, divorce or birth.