The Navigator Resource Guide has not been updated for 2025 Open Enrollment. For more current information please visit:
cms.gov/marketplace/in-person-assisters/information-partners.
QUESTION

I live overseas. Do I still have to comply with the individual mandate?

Individuals with no coverage | Individual Responsibility Requirement (Individual Mandate) |
ANSWER

Probably not. U.S. citizens or residents living abroad can qualify for an exemption from the requirement to have minimum essential coverage as long as they meet certain requirements (e.g., U.S. citizen is a bona fide resident of a foreign country). (26 U.S.C. § 5000A(f)(4);  IRS, Individual Shared Responsibility Provision-Exemptions: Claiming or Reporting.)

If you are a resident of California, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Rhode Island and do not have health insurance coverage in 2023, exemptions from the tax penalty may differ. Check with your state insurance department to find out more – a list of state departments of insurance is available under our Resources, When and How to Contact Insurance Regulators.

Individuals with no coverage
Individuals with coverage
Coverage for small employers
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