1095 Tax Form Frequently Asked Questions

The 1095 is a tax form that shows the health insurance coverage you had in the previous year. You can use this form when filing your previous year’s federal tax return to answer questions about minimum essential coverage, as required by the Affordable Care Act.

Q1: What is this 1095 Tax form?

A: The 1095 form shows the health insurance coverage you had with us during the previous year. You can use this form to help answer questions about minimum essential coverage when filing your previous year’s taxes.

Q2: Will I get a 1095 Tax form?

A: Did you have insurance coverage with BCBSTX during the previous year?

• If you had an insured group health plan with BCBSTX, or if you purchased a plan directly with BCBSTX, we send you a 1095-B form.
• If you had a self-insured group health plan with BCBSTX, your employer sends you a 1095-C form.
• If you had a BCBSTX plan through the Marketplace, the Marketplace sends you a 1095-A form.

Q3: I have questions about how to use this form to file my taxes – can you help?

A:  We cannot provide tax advice. There are instructions on the form that will show you how to use this information when filing your taxes.

Q4: I switched insurance during the previous year and I no longer have BCBSTX coverage – do I still need this?

A: We sent forms to anyone who had insurance with us for at least one day of one month in the previous year. You may also be receiving forms from other insurers if you had coverage from more than one carrier. You should keep all copies for your reference.

Q5: I got two or more different 1095 forms and they both say BCBSTX. Why did I get two and do I need both of them?

A: Even if your insurance was with BCBSTX for the whole year, if your plan changed during the previous year, you will get a form for each of your plans. This could have happened if you switched jobs or if you changed to a different type of individual plan. Please take a moment to review the information on both forms to be sure it is correct. Keep them all for your reference to answer questions about coverage when filing your tax forms.

Q6: I had BCBSTX insurance in the previous year and I did not receive a tax form. How can I get a copy?

A: You can call the customer service number on the back of your ID card to request a copy of your form.

• Please note, if you were covered by a self-insured group plan with BCBSTX, your employer is responsible for the tax form (1095-C). In that case, you will need to request a copy from your employer, not BCBSTX.
• If you had a BCBSTX plan through the Marketplace, the Marketplace sends you a 1095-A form. If you have not yet received your form, you can find a copy by logging in to your Marketplace online account, or call them at 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325).

Q7: I also got a 1095-A from the Marketplace/Exchange, is that different?

A: There are different kinds of 1095 forms, depending on which type of coverage you had. They all provide you with similar information, however, which is to show insurance coverage you had during the the previous year tax year. If you changed your coverage during the previous year and had a Marketplace/Exchange plan for part of the year, you would also get a 1095-A form from the Marketplace/Exchange. You should keep all of them for reference.

Q8: There is a mistake on my form – can you fix it?

A: Yes, you can call the customer service number on the back of your ID card – you may also want to make sure your employer (if you had group coverage) has the correct information. If you had a BCBSTX plan through the Marketplace, log in to your Marketplace online account, or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325).

Q9: Since you are sending me a corrected form, will you send corrected information to the IRS, too?

A: Yes, corrected information will be sent to the IRS.

Q10: How can I tell if my form has been corrected?

A: The original 1095-B forms were mailed in January. Your new form will have a more recent date. Also, if your correction was a change to your member information or your employer’s address, the form will say “corrected” at the top. Please note, if your form was corrected to update your employer’s identification number (EIN), it will not say corrected.

Q11: Why does the form show my full Individual Taxpayer Number (ITIN: note, this is an IRS number issued to people who are not eligible for a SSN), but the ITIN is only partially shown for my dependents?  

A: In order to make sure we are including correct information, our system requires us to print the entire ITIN for the subscriber. We are able to print shortened numbers for dependents.

Q12: I lost my 1095-B form – can you send me another?

A: Yes. You can call the customer service number on the back of your ID card to request a reprint.

• Please note, if you were covered by a self-insured group plan with BCBSTX, your employer is responsible for the tax form (1095-C). In that case, you will need to request a copy from your employer, not BCBSTX.
• If you had a BCBSTX plan through the Marketplace, the Marketplace sends you a 1095-A form. Log in to your Marketplace online account, or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325) to request a copy of the 1095-A.

Q13. Can you please send my 1095 to a new address or an alternate address?

The 1095 can only be sent to the address listed in our system.   If your address is not correct, please call the customer service number on the back of your ID card to update your information.

Q14: Why didn’t I receive a 1095-B for my Temporary Policy?

A:  We do not send out tax forms for Temporary policies. These are not considered minimum essential coverage.