June 2016

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most individuals to have minimum essential coverage (MEC), or pay a penalty for each month they are uninsured. Most insurance, such as coverage provided by employers, Medicare and most Medicaid, is MEC and satisfies the ACA’s individual responsibility requirement.

This chart is a reference tool that lists whether various types of coverage are considered MEC and satisfy the ACA’s individual responsibility requirement, and whether eligibility for that coverage makes an individual ineligible for premium tax credits (PTC) in the marketplace.