Consumer Assistance Resource Guide: Minimum Essential Coverage

Manatt Health Solutions

Early evidence from across the nation suggests that consumer assisters are playing a vital role in helping people enroll in the new coverage options made possible by the Affordable Care Act. The following resource guide on Minimum Essential Coverage is part of a Consumer Assistance Resource Guide series  developed to help consumer assisters answer some of the most common eligibility and enrollment questions.

Individuals who are eligible for health insurance that is considered “Minimum Essential Coverage,” or MEC, are not eligible for Advance Premium Tax Credits or Cost Sharing Reductions through the Marketplace and may be subject to a penalty under the shared responsibility requirement if they do not enroll in the available MEC coverage. This guide, prepared by Manatt Health Solutions, describes the types of employer-sponsored, public health insurance or COBRA coverage considered MEC. The guide also explains the potential impact a change in MEC coverage during the year could have on eligibility determinations.

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