I got a Marketplace letter asking for documents: what to do

Why you get this letter

When you apply, the Marketplace compares what you entered with its records. If something doesn’t match, such as your income, your citizenship or immigration status, or whether you have other coverage, it asks for documents to confirm it. HealthCare.gov calls this a “data matching issue” or “inconsistency.”

The letter, or your eligibility notice, says exactly what information is missing and your deadline. That date is the one that counts.

How much time you have

According to HealthCare.gov:

• 90 days to confirm information that doesn’t match, such as household income.
• 95 days to confirm citizenship or immigration status.
• 30 days to confirm you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period due to loss of coverage.

Don’t wait until the last day. And if you missed the deadline, HealthCare.gov recommends sending the documents anyway.

Which documents to send

Your letter includes the list of accepted documents for your case. For income, HealthCare.gov says:

• If your income won’t change: your most recent tax return or your W-2s.
• If your income will change: recent pay stubs or a document stating your new wages or when contract work ends.
• If your income is hard to predict, for example if you are self-employed: a self-employment ledger or a letter of explanation.
• If you don’t have current-year documents: you can upload an annual income letter of explanation with your total for the year.
• For citizenship, immigration status or other coverage: the documents listed in your letter.

How to send them

According to HealthCare.gov, uploading them in your account is the fastest way. PDF, JPG, PNG and other common file types under 10 MB are accepted, with file names that have no special characters.

You can also mail them, photocopies only, with the bar code page from your letter or your name and application ID. The Marketplace doesn’t accept documents by email or fax.

If you have questions, call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 and explain that you received a notice asking for documents.

What happens if you don’t send them

According to HealthCare.gov, the Marketplace rechecks your eligibility using the information it already has, not what you entered. If the issue is income, you may get less help or lose it; if it is citizenship or immigration status, you may lose Marketplace coverage.

The Marketplace won’t end your eligibility or change your help without notifying you first: it sends warning notices and makes a reminder call.

If you lose your help or coverage, review your options as soon as possible: there may be a private health plan you can buy any month. If it is a limited-benefit plan, it does not replace Obamacare coverage, may exclude pre-existing conditions and does not help you avoid state penalties (California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and D.C.).

Frequently asked questions