Premium tax credit eligibility depends on income (an ACA-specific calculation of modified adjusted gross income). Although the rules are different in 2021 and 2022, it’s normally available to people with income between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level, although the lower bound in most states is actually 138% of the federal poverty level, due to Medicaid expansion (if you're eligible for Medicaid, you won't be eligible for a premium tax credit). For 2021 and 2022, the income cap (400% of the poverty level) for premium tax credit eligibility does not apply. So depending on the cost of the benchmark plan relative to a household's income, some people can qualify for a premium tax credit in 2021 and 2022 even with an income well above 400% of the poverty level. This is due to the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which was enacted in March 2021 to address the ongoing COVID pandemic. Under the ARP, premium tax credit eligibility for people over 400% of the poverty level is based on keeping the cost of the benchmark plan at no more than 8.5% of household income, and this was retroactive to January 2021. So for 2021 and 2022, there is no income limit for subsidy eligibility — instead, it depends on what percentage of your income you'd otherwise have to pay for the benchmark plan. The cost difference between the benchmark plan and an enrollee’s selected plan determines their monthly premium. In 2022, the full-price premiums for plans purchased via HealthCare.gov (used by 33 states) averaged $594 a month, but 92% of enrollees received advance premium tax credits that averaged $524 per month. For those enrollees, the average tax credit covered the majority of the average premium, although the specifics vary considerably from one person to another and from one area to another. Because premium tax credits are usually paid in advance, they are reconciled against your actual income when the year is over. This means enrollees who underestimate their income may have to pay back a large portion of their subsidy – or all of it – when filing their taxes.