How to Look Up 2016 and 2017 Plan Costs for
Filing an Exemption for Unaffordable Health
Coverage through MNsure
If you are applying for an exemption based on coverage being unaffordable, you have two
options.
1. You can claim this exemption for the months in 2016 when you did not have coverage
when you fill out your 2016 federal tax return, which is due in 2017; or
2. You can claim this exemption for future months by applying for the exemption at
HealthCare.gov.
For either of these options you will need some information from MNsure. You need to include
anyone in your household who needs the exemption and who does not have access to health
coverage through a job, or another person’s job (such as a parent).
Find Plan Costs for 2016 or 2017
Follow the steps below to find plan costs for 2016 or 2017.
1. Go to MNsure’s Plan Lookup Tool
(https://plans.mnsure.org/mnsa/planadvisor/plan_advisor.htm?flow=anonymous#/welcome)
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How to Look Up 2016 and 2017 Plan Costs for Filing an Exemption for Unaffordable Health Coverage through MNsure
2. Click the orange Start button in the lower right of the screen.
3. Enter your ZIP code:
•
•
If you need information for filing for an exemption for unaffordable coverage in 2016,
then enter your ZIP code for where you lived on January 1, 2016.
If you need information for filing for an exemption for unaffordable coverage in 2017,
enter your current ZIP code.
4. Enter the Coverage Start Date:
•
•
If you need information for filing for an exemption for unaffordable coverage in 2016,
then enter the Coverage Start Date as January 1, 2016.
If you need information for filing for an exemption for unaffordable coverage in 2017,
enter the Coverage Start Date as today’s date.
o Enrollment capacity limits might impact the plans you’re able to view on the Plan
Lookup Tool for 2017. If you live in a county where enrollment capacity limits
(https://www.mnsure.org/shop-compare/about-plans/caps/index.jsp) were not
implemented, then please call the MNsure Contact Center at
1-855-366-7873 for help looking up plans available in your county.
5. Enter your household information.
•
If you use tobacco, choose “Yes” for Tobacco Use to determine the premium for the
lowest cost bronze plan. However, you will need to choose “No” for Tobacco Use to
determine the premium for the second lowest cost silver plan. Tobacco use cannot be
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How to Look Up 2016 and 2017 Plan Costs for Filing an Exemption for Unaffordable Health Coverage through MNsure
used in the premium calculation for the second lowest cost silver plan. You will need to
enter your household information two separate times to search for the correct premium
using the correct Tobacco Use status.
6. Click the Submit button.
7. On the next screen click Skip to Plans link located on the lower left.
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How to Look Up 2016 and 2017 Plan Costs for Filing an Exemption for Unaffordable Health Coverage through MNsure
8. You will now be on the plan results page where you can sort by Monthly Premium to find the
lowest cost bronze plan and the second lowest cost silver plan available to you.
Use the Sort By: drop-down menu to select Monthly Premium.
(NOTE: If you are claiming the exemption for unaffordable coverage in 2017, you only need
information about the 2017 lowest cost bronze plan. You do not need information about the
second lowest cost silver plan.)
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How to Look Up 2016 and 2017 Plan Costs for Filing an Exemption for Unaffordable Health Coverage through MNsure
9. After sorting by Monthly Premium you should see the lowest cost bronze plan at the top of
the page. Find the second lowest cost silver plan by scrolling down the list.
10. Print a copy of the plan results page. You may want to a copy of this for your records.
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