FAQs
frequently asked questions
What documents can be used to verify immigration status?
When completing a Marketplace eligibility application, if consumers applying for coverage attest to having an eligible immigration status, they may be asked questions about their status and asked to provide specific immigration identification numbers.
Agents and brokers should review the available document types listed in the application with their client and help them determine which document attests to their specific immigration status. If they have more than one current immigration document, they should select and input information from the document that contains an alien number, if possible. The alien number (also called alien registration or USCIS number) usually begins with an “A” and ends with eight or nine numbers.
Consumers may need to have one or more of the following documents or identification numbers to attest to their lawfully present status:
- Permanent Resident Card, “Green Card” (I-551)
- Reentry Permit (I-327)
- Refugee Travel Document (I-571)
- Employment Authorization Document (I-766)
- Machine Readable Immigrant Visa (with temporary I-551 language)
- Temporary I-551 Stamp (on passport or I-94/I-94A)
- Arrival/Departure Record (I-94/I-94A)
- Arrival/Departure Record in foreign passport (I-94)
- Foreign Passport
- Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status (I-20)
- Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status (DS2019)
- Notice of Action (I-797)
- Document indicating membership in a federally recognized Indian tribe or American Indian born in Canada
- Certification from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
- Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) eligibility letter (if under 18)
- Alien number (also called alien registration number or USCIS number) or I-94 number
To view sample documents that consumers can use to show their immigration status, visit HealthCare.gov.
What documents can be used to verify income?
When completing a Marketplace eligibility application, the primary applicant will enter information about their expected household income and expenses for the upcoming year. If your client’s income they attested to on their application does not match information that the Marketplace has access to through other trusted data sources, additional information may need to be submitted to verify their information.
Agents and brokers should review the available document types listed in the application with their client and help them determine which document attests to their income and expenses.
Consumers may need to have one or more of the following documents to attest to their income and expenses:
- 1040 federal or state tax return
- Wages and tax statement (W-2 and/ or 1099, including 1099-MISC, 1099-G, 1099-R, SSA-1099, 1099-DIV, 1099-S, 1099-INT)
- Pay stub
- Self-employment ledger documentation (can be a Schedule C, the most recent quarterly or year-to-date profit and loss statement, or a self-employment ledger)
- Social Security Administration Statements (Social Security Benefits Letter)
- Unemployment Benefits Letter
What is my Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) user ID? What do I do if I've forgotten it?
You created your Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) user ID when you created your account on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal during the agent and broker FFM registration process.
To retrieve your forgotten FFM user ID:
- Visit the CMS Enterprise Portal landing page.
- Click the “User ID” link under the “Login” button.
- Enter your information in the appropriate fields on the Forgot User ID page. An error will display if invalid data is entered. After successfully submitting your information, you will receive confirmation that your information has been successfully verified. You will receive an email notification that will contain your User ID. This email will be sent to the email address on your profile.
- Click the link in the confirmation message to log into the CMS Enterprise Portal.
Where can I update my public-facing agent/broker profile information so that consumers can find me and request assistance?
You can update your public-facing agent/broker profile information in the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS) on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Enterprise Portal:
- Log in to your account on the CMS Enterprise Portal.
- Click on the “Marketplace Training – Agent Broker” tile and then select the “MLMS Training” link, which will take you to your MLMS profile page. Here you can make updates to your personal profile information, as well as information about any business or web-based entities for which you are the authorized individual of record.
- Click the “Save” button to ensure that your profile information is updated. You must click the “Save” button to ensure that your corrected information is saved.
My client does not file taxes jointly with their spouse. Are they eligible for financial assistance through the Marketplace?
Generally, married couples must file taxes jointly to be eligible for financial assistance through the Marketplace. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers an individual married if they are separated but have not obtained a final decree of divorce or separate maintenance by the last day of the tax year.
However, there are certain exceptions in which a legally married couple who does not file taxes jointly may be eligible for advance payments of the premium tax credit (APTC) or a premium tax credit (PTC):
- If the applicant is legally married and will not file a joint return, but is a victim of domestic abuse, domestic violence, or spousal abandonment, They may enter “single” on their Marketplace application. The applicant (and potentially their dependents) would then be eligible for PTC and other cost-sharing reductions if they qualify based on their income and other factors.
- If the applicant is legally married and will not file a joint return but plans to file taxes using the head of household filing status, they must enter “married” on their Marketplace application. Generally, in order to claim head of household filing status, an individual must live separately from their spouse and live with their child, who they claim as a dependent. If the applicant attests to being married but not filing jointly, and meets the criteria, then the Marketplace application will include a question about head of household tax filing status. Applicants should only answer the question affirmatively when IRS rules allow use of the head of household tax filing status. The applicant would then be eligible for PTC and other cost-sharing reductions if they qualify based on their income and other factors. Learn more about filing as head of household.