Massachusetts Health Care

I like Massachusetts health care reform.  Then again, I'm privileged enough to have always had health insurance.  But last night, while filing my taxes,* I ran into a small problem.

I was on my father's insurance plan until June of this year, when I switched to my employer's plan.  My new insurer sent me form 1098-HC, so I could prove on my state taxes that I had coverage (since you get tax penalties otherwise).  But I received no such form to prove I had coverage during the first six months of the year, and while I assume my dad got such a form, I don't think he realized that, you know, I needed it.

I tried various things to get the Turbotax program to recognize that yes, I had coverage, since I was on my dad's insurance, but the program is a little dense, apparently.  And then I got lucky.  I never threw out my health plan card from the old insurer.  So I just looked up the federal ID number for the insurer, and then I had all the info I needed to say, "Yeah, I was insured from January through May."  Phew.

* I'm not done filing my taxes.  All I need to know now is whether or not my parents COULD have claimed me as a dependent.  On the one hand, they paid college tuition and my rent.  On the other hand, I had already moved out and by June was self-sufficient.  I'm 99% sure they could have claimed me, but if they couldn't have, I'd get such an amazing return ...