Who is Considered to be in My “Household”?

Although household size and composition may seem straightforward, it can be difficult to determine who you need to include on your application for health insurance through MNsure. Should you include your roommate, or your partner who lives with you? The list of possible household members goes on and on. That’s why we’ve compiled a list below of who you should and should not include on your MNsure application!

Who Should be Included?

The short-answer to this question is anyone who lives with you, and also has some financial tie to you or any of your family members. For the most part, MNsure determines your household eligibility from your tax situation. So anyone who you file taxes with, or who you claim as a dependent on taxes should be included on your application. However, there may be people who need to be included on the application that you do not file taxes with, such as a partner with whom you have children with. To help make this a little more clear, we’ve included a list of those you should include on your application, regardless of whether they are seeking coverage, below:

  • Yourself
  • Your legal spouse
  • Children under 19 that live with you
  • Your unmarried partner, if you have children together
  • Your child’s parent, if they claim any of your children as a dependent
  • Any other tax dependents
  • Anyone else under 21 who you take care of, or who lives with you

Who Should NOT be included?

Even if someone lives with you, they may not need to be included on the application with you if they have no financial ties to you or any of your family members. For example, a partner that lives with you, but you are not married to, and do not file taxes with or have children with does not need to be included on your MNsure application. Examples of other individuals who do not need to be included on your application are listed below:

  • Your unmarried partner, whom you do not file taxes or have children with
  • Your unmarried partner’s children, unless they are also your children or you claim them on taxes
  • Your parents who live with you, unless you claim them as tax dependents
  • Other adult relatives who file their own tax returns
  • Children over 21, who you don’t claim as tax dependents, even if they live with you
  • Unrelated adults who live with you (ie; roommates)

Please keep in mind that these are general guidelines to help you determine how to complete your MNsure application. We understand that all households may not fit into one of these categories, and that’s why we are here to help! If you need assistance filling out your MNsure application, please give us a call at 855.566.7873.

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