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How to Estimate Your Income for the Marketplace?

Reporting income and household size

How to estimate your income for the Marketplace

When you fill out a Marketplace application, you’ll answer detailed questions about your income and household members. You’ll simply answer the questions. The Marketplace does the calculations and tells you what programs and savings you qualify for. Before you apply, you can make a ballpark estimate of your income to see if you may qualify for savings. This page tells you how. Important: The Marketplace application makes the final determination of your eligibility for savings. It uses details you provide to develop a figure called “modified adjusted gross income” (MAGI). MAGI is used to determine your eligibility for coverage savings. The method below helps you make only a rough estimate of MAGI. You can use this number whenever a tool on our site asks you to estimate your income for the year. You won’t use this estimate anywhere in the Marketplace application itself. Remember that you find out your actual eligibility for programs only when you submit a Marketplace application.

How to make a ballpark estimate

Start with your adjusted gross income (AGI) (http://www.irs.gov/uac/Definition-of-Adjusted-Gross-Income) . You’ll find this on your most recent federal income tax return. For most people, AGI is very close to or identical to MAGI. Where to find AGI on IRS tax forms:

Form 1040: Line 37
Form 1040 EZ: Line 4
Form 1040 A: Line 21

Make adjustments to estimate your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). You may have to add or subtract items from your adjusted gross income to estimate your MAGI.

Add the following kinds of income, if you have any, to your AGI:
- Tax-exempt foreign income
- Tax-exempt Social Security benefits (including tier 1 railroad retirement benefits)
- Tax-exempt interest
Don’t include any Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (http://www.ssa.gov/ssi/)

Now adjust your estimate for 2020. Remember, your eligibility for premium tax credits and out-of-pocket savings is based on your expected income for 2020, not your 2019 figures. So do your best to account for any changes you think will happen in 2020.

Consider things like expected raises, new jobs, or other employment changes; higher or lower tax deductions; and changes in income from self-employment.
Make sure you include income changes for anyone who’ll be a dependent on your 2020 federal income tax return.
Also account for any expected changes to your household, including gaining or losing tax dependents.

Now you have a ballpark estimate of your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI). You can use this figure if want to see plans and prices based on your income (/see-plans/) before you apply, to see if you may qualify for premium tax credits and other savings (/qualifying-forlower- costs-chart/), or use other tools outside the Marketplace application that ask you to estimate your income. Of course you never know what’s going to happen in the coming year. That’s why it’s so important to update your Marketplace application all year whenever you have income or household changes that could affect your coverage.

Estimating your income if you’re unemployed

It’s hard to predict your annual income if you’re unemployed. Still, it’s important to make your best estimate based on all current or expected sources of income for the year, for everyone in your household. See how to estimate your income if you’re unemployed (/unemployed/coverage/#unemployedincome).

More details on reporting income and household members

How to Report Your Annual Household Income

Reporting income and household size

How to report your annual household income

When you apply for premium tax credits and other savings in the Marketplace, you’ll need to estimate your income for the year for which you’re applying for insurance.. You'll provide this information on your Marketplace application. You can start by adding up the following items for:

You and your spouse, if you’re married and will file a joint tax return
Any dependents who make enough money to be required to file a tax return

Which income sources to include

For each of the following sources, estimate what your income will be in the year for which you’re applying for insurance. If you’re not sure what your income will be, make your best estimate.

Wages
Salaries
Tips
Net income from any self-employment (/self-employed/) or business (generally the amount of money you take in from your business minus your business expenses)
Unemployment compensation
Social Security payments, including disability payments -- but not Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Alimony

Other items to include when estimating your income are: retirement income, investment income, pension income, rental income, and other taxable income such as prizes, awards, and gambling winnings. Don't include the following kinds of income:

Child support
Gifts
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Veterans’ disability payments
Workers’ compensation
Proceeds from loans (like student loans, home equity loans, or bank loans)

Federal taxable wages

Don’t include as income any money that an employer takes out of your paycheck for child care, health insurance, or retirement plans that is “not taxable.” Sometimes these are called "pre-tax deductions." Your pay stub should list these deductions individually. The pay stub may list your "federal taxable wages." If it does, use that figure to report your pay. For more information on reporting your income, see IRS Publication 525 (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irspdf/ p525.pdf).

Deductions from your income

You can also report certain deductions (/reporting-deductions/) from your income by logging in to your account and updating your application.

More answers

My spouse is insured. Since I’m applying for insurance only for myself, do I include his or her income?
What if my income turns out to be different from what I estimate?
If I make withdrawals from my IRA or 401k, does this count as income?
What if I don’t plan on filing a tax return?

A federal government website managed by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244

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Our Privacy Policy

This notice explains how Greenberg & Associates Insurance LLC may collect, use and share your information. Information in this statement applies in addition to our normal privacy statement, in accordance with the Affordable Care Act.

Why did you give me this notice?

We are legally required to give you this notice by applicable law and our agreement with the federal government. We respect your personal information and want you to fully understand how we may use and share your information.

What information will you ask me to give you?

We must collect certain information about you, called Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) in order to help you complete your application for health insurance on the Federally facilitated Marketplace (or Exchange) (“FFM”). PII is information that can be used to identify you or trace your identity. These are a few examples of PII. This is not a complete list.

Name
Address
Date of birth
Telephone number
Social security number
Household income
Marital status
Race or ethnicity
Credit or debit card numbers

Additional details about the meaning of PII are contained in the government’s guidance, OMB Memoranda M-07-16 (issued May 22, 2007)

How will you use my information?

We will use only the information that we need to help you obtain health insurance through the FFM and to provide Authorized Functions approved by the FFM, or other service as permitted under applicable law. These are a few of the authorized functions that we may conduct. This is not a complete list:

Helping with your application for insurance
Answering question about your eligibility
Helping to enroll you in a qualified health plan
Helping with filing appeals of eligibility determinations
Correcting errors in your application

Will you share my information with anyone?

We may only share your information as described in this notice. We may share your information with certain Federal or State agencies, the health insurance issuer that you select or subcontractors that help us to provide services to you. We must get your permission to share your information for any other purpose that is not described in this notice.

What happens if I don’t share my information with you?

To successfully enroll in a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) or otherwise facilitate your receipt of Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC’s) or Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSR’s), certain PII may be required. This is voluntary and not mandatory under applicable law however if you do not share this information with us, you may not be able to enroll in a QHP on the FFM. If an individual chooses not to provide certain PII in the course of enrolling or receiving assistance in enrolling in a QHP on the FFM, the accuracy of an individual’s enrollment in a QHP, or receipt of APTC’s or CSR’s may be compromised and/or invalidated.

Will you keep my information safe?

Yes. We are required to keep your information safe. We have developed privacy and security policies that we must follow to make sure that we protect your PII. Legal Authority for Collection of PII - Agents, Brokers, and other Entities (ABE’s) have been granted the legal authority to collect this information by Section 1312(e) of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which required that the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services establish procedures under which ABE’s may participate in the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (or Exchange). ABE’s are further permitted by federal regulation (45 C.F.R. 155.220) to enroll individual in a Qualified Health Plan offered on the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (or Exchange) and to assist individuals in applying for Enrollment, Advance Payments of the Premium Tax Credits (APTC’s) and Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSR’s) to the extent permitted to do so under State law and regulation.

Cecily and Michelle, You ladies are awesome! I have had nothing but VERY excellent service with all of my dealings with Greenberg & Associates. Not an exaggeration.

Marc. V

So glad I found Cecily! My morale was extremely low after spending a full week on the phone with Kaiser customer service. I was simply trying to figure out how to get comparable coverage in my new state. But it was a bureaucratic nightmare. THEN someone suggested I contact an insurance agent and I quickly found Cecily online. Problem solved. Cecily is sharp, fast, detail-oriented, patient (answered all of my many questions), trustworthy, upbeat, and knows her stuff! Right away she found a plan for me that was way better than anything I had hoped for. Moving is stressful enough. Cecily made the "getting new health insurance" part easy.

Leah S.Five Star Yelp Review

Greenberg and Associates are the best. They not only have been crucial in making sure our plan is what's best for our business, but they have been essential during many hurdles in my personal health and coverage. I don't think I would have been able to get over all the challenges that came with insuring my small business and overcoming a serious illness. Adrienne and Jeff really helped settle things and make sure I was treated honestly and fairly

Andrea l.Five Star Yelp Review

After 3 days of frustration wading through COBRA and marketplace options and many, many phone calls to various insurances and COBRA folks, I called Greenberg and Associates. Cecily called me back right away and was extremely helpful in answering my questions. Once I had an answer to my most pressing question, it became clear I wouldn't actually need to seek them out for additional support; still, Cecily remained on the line and explained/helped me strategize more thoroughly my most cost efficient next steps, ensuring neither my son nor I go unprotected. If I have insurance broker needs in the future, I will definitely seek her out. Thank you, Cecily!

M.ZFive Star Yelp Review

"Greenberg and Associates is exceptional. Over the five years we have relied on their expertise, responsiveness and professional advise in finding the best healthcare and insurance services for our employees. Adrienne Hutchins is a trusted advisor and friend. And, at a time when there are a lot of questions, concerns, changes and costs - I know I can rely on Greenberg & Associates and Adrienne to provide the best and up-to-the-minute analysis. Adrienne's research and understanding of the ever changing healthcare landscape provides needed insights for making critical business decisions. Moreover, Adrienne truly cares and has gone above and beyond the call of duty for me, my family and our employees in ensuring that we get the best insurance coverage and service. Thank You!"

Heather Warren Kirby, OwnerAcadia Northwest

Cecily Hutchins is amazing! The process of finding a new health insurance plan and having my application approved was like pulling teeth. It took me FOUR months to get a new insurance plan in place and Cecily was friendly, responsive, and had a positive attitude the entire way, from helping me pick out a plan to the very end where Providence could just NOT get it together. Thanks Cecily!

Robin N.Five Star Yelp Review

"Dear Adrienne; I just want to let you know how amazed we are at your work ethic and the knowledge you have in providing our company with Healthcare Insurance. I still remember first meeting you in the late fall of 2006 when we started our civil engineering business. To be honest, we were a bit skeptical hiring a broker as I wondered about extra fees but you were recommended by a good friend and business man so we took a chance. I was proven so wrong. You provided us with a wealth of information and compatible plans to choose from. You were always very prompt and thorough in providing us information. I still remember meeting with you in our office in early January and signing to start our policy on March 1st, we then decided to move-up our start date to Feb 1st and you were amazing in getting that completed. Our policy went into effect on Feb 1st 2007, I went into the hospital for an infection on Feb 3rd – 5th, and our seven month old son was diagnosed with Kidney cancer on Feb 22nd. I remember calling you when the bills started coming in and I needed to get straight our policy deductibles and such. You spared no time in meeting me for coffee, taking my bills and showing me exactly what to pay and what our max was to pay. Even the bills that were not matching up, you asked to take on the task of talking to the hospital and our Health Insurance Company to make sure we were not being overcharged. In our darkest days with our baby fighting for his life, you were there for us. To this day, 3 ½ years later, you are still taking care of us, letting us know of changes and asking how you can help with renewing or adding new employees. I am more than thankful to have you as our broker!"

Neil and Kristine

I've worked in many different aspects of customer service most of my life, which makes me completely qualified to say: Cecily is the very top tier! We will be happily recommending her to anyone who asks.

John BFive Star Yelp Review

"You've heard about companies that go the extra yard. Sharon and her team go the extra kilometer. Be it life or health insurance -- or just that sense of comfort that comes from being in capable, committed hands -- we couldn't have asked for more during the decades Greenberg & Associates has handled our business."

Richard H. Meeker, PresidentCity of Roses Newspaper Company, and Publisher, Willamette Week

"Greenberg & Associates Insurance has been rock solid in providing us with the best rates and most up to date information when it comes to choosing our healthcare providers throughout a changing economy. Just recently, they helped our engineering firm find a health provider which offered our small business more benefits at cheaper rates. We saved money and our employees are happier with their better coverage. Since 2007, Greenberg & Associates Insurance Agent, Adrienne Hutchins, has been someone we know we can rely on and trust."

Daniel Englund, General MangerListen Acoustics Acoustical Engineering & Audio/Visual Design

"Sharon is able to provide EPIC with all the information needed to make educated decisions for our employees and their healthcare."

Heather Schopp, Human Resources DirectorEPIC Imaging-East

"We have a great resource in Sharon, who goes the extra mile in helping with all our insurance needs and questions."

Lily Nigo, Clinic AdministratorOrthopedics Northwest, PC

I just moved from Colorado to Oregon and waited till the last minute to get my new health insurance set up. From the very beginning, Cecily Hutchins was super friendly and helpful. She was very quick to respond to my calls and e-mails and got my insurance set up quickly and without problems.

Rebecca

"It has been a pleasure working with Adrienne Hutchins over the last five years regarding our clinic's health insurance decision making. Adrienne's professionalism, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills attest to her understanding of today's complex choices for health care insurance. Adrienne provides multiple health care cost comparisons each year in advance of our renewal. At any time throughout the year, I can call on her and know that my clinic represents a priority in her everyday work."

Jessica A. Wood Gibson, Clinic ManagerJohn R. Tongue, M.D., P.C.

"Sharon has been able to keep our costs down, while allowing us to provide quality insurance to our employees, which is very important to us."

Mark Zusman, EditorWillamette Week

"Adrienne Hutchins has been our agent for many years and will continue to be due to her excellent customer service. I can ask her anything and get a prompt response and she takes care of the details so I can run my business. Her yearly reviews are comprehensive and allow me to provide my employees with the best insurance at the best price."

Chris BayhaShade Specialties Plus

"Sharon and her staff have always been there for questions/answers and help when we need it. No small business can be without this kind of support and guidance these days!"

Dick WissmillerRegal Aviation Insurance

"Greenberg & Associates’ knowledge and ability to navigate the constant changes in the insurance industry is a huge benefit to us. They are an essential resource in our employee benefit planning."

Margo VirchowMartha E. Rich, D.M.D., P.C.

FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

Reporting income and household size

How to estimate your income for the Marketplace

How to make a ballpark estimate

Estimating your income if you’re unemployed

More details on reporting income and household members

Reporting income and household size

How to report your annual household income

Which income sources to include

Federal taxable wages

Deductions from your income

More answers

Why did you give me this notice?

What information will you ask me to give you?

How will you use my information?

Will you share my information with anyone?

What happens if I don’t share my information with you?

Will you keep my information safe?

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