Usually, yes! You can check this before you enroll in our estimator software.

Tell us—our software makes updates simple so your savings stay accurate.

No. You don’t pay us. You just get ongoing support when you need it.

Yes. Many owners and self-employed use the Marketplace for themselves and family members. We’ll walk you through options.

First off — don’t panic. This is actually more common than you think.

When you sign up for an ACA Marketplace plan, your monthly premium is lowered based on your estimated annual income.

If you make more than expected, your subsidy can be updated when you report it to your agent or the adjustments will be made at tax time.

Remember the subsidy is based on a rather small portion of your income so any difference you would owe is also just a small percentage of the difference.

A really rough estimate is if you make $10,000 more in a year you would only owe back around $500-$600. Which is totally doable if your income is that much more than you originally estimate.

To avoid surprises, we recommend updating your income if things change significantly. But even if you don’t, you won’t lose your insurance — and the tax impact is something you can plan for.

If you think your income is going to be over $5000 more than you estimated give us a call and we will go over the implications for you.

The rules are changing quite a bit these days with the Big Beautiful Bill and health insurance so check in with us or the marketplace if you’re unsure.

We're not tax advisors, so always check with a tax professional — but if you’d like us to walk you through how we’ve seen this affect real people in the past, give us a call. We’re happy to explain in plain English.

Great news — if your income drops during the year, you might qualify for even more help.

Lower income usually means higher subsidies, and in some cases, you could qualify for free or low-cost Medicaid coverage, depending on your situation. You won’t be penalized for estimating too high — but you might miss out on savings if you don’t update your income.

So definitely call us sooner than later if you realize your income is going to be significantly lower.

If your income ends up under $15,060/year (for a single person), the government may say you’re better off on Medicaid and will require you to switch. So definitely contact us if you expect a big change in income in that direction. 

If you’re not eligible for Medicaid, you can still keep your plan and may even qualify for extra savings and a bigger subsidy amount.

As always, we’re not tax or legal advisors, but we’ve helped plenty of folks navigate situations like this — and we’re happy to walk you through what to expect based on your current income. Just reach out anytime.

When you apply for ACA health insurance, you'll be asked to estimate your total income for the year — not just what you're earning right now. This includes wages, self-employment, Social Security, unemployment, and other taxable income sources.

You don’t always have to show proof — but the rules are getting stricter. If the marketplace notices a large discrepancy (think over 10%) between your estimated income and your recent tax information, the system may flag your application and ask you to verify your income.

If that happens, you’ll get a notice with a 60-day deadline to upload documents. Don’t ignore it — if you don’t respond, your plan could be switched to full price with no subsidies or be terminated.

Insurance carriers usually aren’t responsible for refunds if you plan switches to a non-subsidized full price plan and you don’t contact them.

✅ For regular jobs (W-2 income):

• Recent pay stubs (with gross income and pay frequency)

• A letter from your employer

✅ For self-employment or gig work (1099 income):

• Invoices or payment receipts

• Bookkeeping records or income statements

• Recent tax return (if current income is similar)

• Bank statements showing business deposits

✅ For fixed income or no income:

• Social Security award letter

• Unemployment benefits letter

• Zero-income statement or letter of support (if someone is helping you financially)

Good news: This is just a good-faith estimate, not an audit. If your income changes later, you can update it anytime to make sure your savings stay accurate.

We’re not tax advisors, but we’ve helped lots of folks through this. If you’re unsure what to submit, give us a call — we’re happy to walk you through it.

We’re based in Billings and the Hi-Line, and we serve clients nationwide where we’re licensed. We want you to to feel known and taken care of when you work with us!

Clay Murdock, our company owner, is a born and raised Montanan and his family has been ranching in Montana for over 100 years.