Form 1095-B: The Health Coverage Statement and What to Do With It
Published November 5, 2026
At tax time, you may get a Form 1095-B, Health Coverage. It looks official, so it is easy to worry about. The good news is that it is a statement, not a bill. You do not attach it to your tax return.
This guide explains what the form reports, who sends it, and how it differs from two similar forms.
What the form reports
Form 1095-B tells you about the people in your tax family who had minimum essential coverage for some or all of the year. Your tax family is you, your spouse, and your dependents. Minimum essential coverage includes government-sponsored programs, eligible employer-sponsored plans, individual market plans, and other coverage that HHS designates.
Part IV lists each covered person. The form shows a checkmark if the person was covered for at least one day in every month. If the person was covered for only some months, the form shows which months.
IRS: Form 1095-B, Health Coverage (2025)
Who sends it
The provider of the coverage sends the form. That can be an insurance company, a self-insured employer, or a government agency that sponsors the coverage. The provider must send one form for all the people covered under the same policy.
The recipient is the responsible individual listed in Part I. If other people covered under the policy ask for a copy, the recipient should give them one.
How it differs from Form 1095-A and Form 1095-C
- Form 1095-A is for coverage you got through a Health Insurance Marketplace. Read Form 1095-A and the premium tax credit for 2025 if you have one. Marketplace coverage is generally reported on 1095-A, not 1095-B.
- Form 1095-C is used by some employers that have to report on coverage they offer. If your employer coverage is reported on a 1095-C, Part III of that form can take the place of a 1095-B.
The form's own instructions say the same thing. If you got Marketplace coverage, check for a 1095-A. If you got employer coverage, check for a 1095-C.
Does it change your return?
The form itself says do not attach it to your tax return. Keep it for your records. The form's information matters for the premium tax credit, which is figured on Form 8962. The IRS points people to Publication 974 for those rules.
Minimum essential coverage can affect whether someone in your tax family can take the premium tax credit. If your 1095-B shows that everyone in your family had coverage for all 12 months, that is useful information when you prepare your return. It is not a deduction or a credit by itself.
Parts of the form you may see blank
Part II covers certain employer-sponsored coverage. The instructions say this part may show only the last four digits of the employer's EIN. It may also be blank even if you had employer coverage. If Part II is blank, you do not need to fill it in or send it anywhere.
Line 8 has a letter code for the type of coverage. The instructions list the codes. Only one letter goes on that line.
What to do this month
- Check the name, SSN, and dates for everyone listed in Part IV.
- Compare the months against your records of coverage.
- If something is wrong, contact the coverage provider. The phone number on the form in Part III is for questions about the information on the form.
- Keep the form with your tax records.
The IRS also runs the Healthcare Hotline for questions about the health care tax rules. The instructions give the number as 800-919-0452.
A 1095-B is one piece of information, and it is worth reading slowly. Take your time, and keep it in the same folder as your other tax papers.
Sources: Sources: IRS, Form 1095-B, Health Coverage (2025), Created 9/24/25 (https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1095b.pdf); IRS, Form 1095-B instructions on page 2 of the form; IRS Publication 974 (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p974) This is general information, not advice about your specific return.
