Financial help lowers what you pay for a Covered California health plan. It comes in two forms: the Advance Premium Tax Credit and cost-sharing reductions, and is only available through Covered California.
How much financial help you get depends on your household size and income. If you qualify, you may get help lowering your monthly premium, your costs when you get care, or both.
Here are some definitions of terms to help explain how this works:
Eligibility Terms
Plan-Cost Terms
Use what your tax household expects to earn this year, not last year's income. Your tax household is you, your spouse and anyone you claim as a dependent.
You don't have to work out your eligibility yourself. When you apply, Covered California reviews your household and tells you what financial help each person qualifies for.
Start your application today!
The plan you choose affects how much you pay. Use financial help to lower your monthly bill, or claim your help when you file your federal taxes.
At tax time, your help is checked against what you actually earned, so you may get a little more back or need to repay some. Keep your income and household information up to date during the year to avoid surprises.
What you pay depends on a few things: the financial help you qualify for, how many people are covered and the plan you choose.
Covered California compares your household income and size to a federal income guideline called the federal poverty level (FPL). In general, the lower your income, the more help you get. If your income is low enough, you may qualify for Medi-Cal instead of Covered California.
Use the income you expect to earn this year, not last year’s income.
→ See the FPL chart for income ranges.
Covered California uses your household's expected income for the year to decide what financial help you qualify for. Not every kind of money you receive counts.
Include these when you report your income.
Do not include when you report your income.
Ready to find out what you may pay? Here are the most common next steps.
