Yes. Medicare does send Form 1095-B, but only automatically to certain groups of Part A enrollees; everyone else with Part A can request a copy. The form confirms you had qualifying health coverage during the year, and in most cases you do not need it to file your federal tax return.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — not a private insurer — is the entity that issues the form for Medicare beneficiaries, including those enrolled in Medicare Advantage.
What the Form Shows
Form 1095-B reports who had “minimum essential coverage” under the Affordable Care Act and which months that coverage was in effect.1Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Form 1095-B Medicare Part A, the hospital insurance portion of Medicare, counts as minimum essential coverage.2HealthCare.gov. Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) – Glossary Part III and Part IV of the form list the coverage provider and each covered individual, along with the specific months of coverage.3HealthCare.gov. 2025 Federal Tax Return Info for Non-Marketplace Health Insurance Twelve months of Part A means the form will show twelve months of qualifying coverage.
Part B alone does not trigger a 1095-B from Medicare. If you have only Part B and no Part A, Medicare will not send you this form.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Introduction to the Qualifying Health Coverage Notice
Who Gets One in the Mail
CMS mails Form 1095-B, along with a Qualifying Health Coverage notice, to three groups: people under 65 who have Part A, people who enrolled in Part A for the first time during the year, and people who had Part A for only part of the year.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Introduction to the Qualifying Health Coverage Notice These mailings typically go out between December and January.5Medicare. Important Tax Information – Form 1095-B (Qualifying Health Coverage)
If you are 65 or older and have had Part A continuously for years, you may not see a form arrive automatically. That is expected. You can still request one.
How to Get a Copy
There are two straightforward ways to obtain your Form 1095-B.
Through Your Medicare Account
Log in at Medicare.gov and look for the section for tax documents or the 1095-B. Your Medicare number, printed on your red, white, and blue Medicare card, is what links your account to your coverage records. Your name and date of birth need to match what Medicare has on file.
By Phone
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to request a copy. TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.6Medicare. Qualifying Health Coverage Notice and IRS Form 1095-B Paper copies are mailed to the address the Social Security Administration has on file, so keep your mailing address current to avoid delivery problems.
Do You Need It to File Your Taxes?
Generally, no. The IRS instructs taxpayers to keep Form 1095-B with their personal tax records rather than submit it with a return.7Internal Revenue Service. Questions and Answers About Health Care Information Forms for Individuals (Forms 1095-A, 1095-B and 1095-C) Medicare says directly that you do not need the form to file.6Medicare. Qualifying Health Coverage Notice and IRS Form 1095-B
The federal penalty for not having health insurance has been $0 since the 2019 tax year, and Form 1040 no longer contains the checkbox that once asked about full-year coverage.8HealthCare.gov. Fee – Glossary CMS still generates the form and reports coverage data to the IRS because federal law continues to require that reporting from providers.
Holding on to the form is still worthwhile. It documents your exact months of coverage if the IRS ever asks, and it works as proof of coverage in states that have kept their own insurance mandate.
State Mandates Where the Form Still Matters
A handful of jurisdictions impose their own penalties for going without qualifying coverage: California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia. Vermont requires coverage but does not attach a financial penalty. Medicare Part A satisfies these state mandates, and your 1095-B is the simplest way to document that when you file a state return in one of these places.
Medicare Advantage Enrollees
If you have a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan, CMS still issues your Form 1095-B, not the private insurance company that administers the plan. The IRS instructions state that private issuers do not report coverage for Medicare, including Medicare Advantage; the government sponsor handles it.9Internal Revenue Service. 2025 Instructions for Forms 1094-B and 1095-B Medicare Advantage plans include Part A coverage, which is what qualifies as minimum essential coverage.5Medicare. Important Tax Information – Form 1095-B (Qualifying Health Coverage)
The Evidence of Coverage document your Advantage plan sends each fall is a separate item that outlines benefits for the coming year. It has nothing to do with the 1095-B and is not used for taxes. If you moved between original Medicare and a Medicare Advantage plan during the same year, you may receive more than one 1095-B covering different periods.
Fixing a Mistake on the Form
If the form shows a wrong Social Security number, a misspelled name, or inaccurate coverage months, contact the issuer. For Medicare-issued forms, that is 1-800-MEDICARE.10Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Contact CMS Fix errors sooner rather than later, because CMS reports the same information to the IRS and mismatched records can cause confusion.11Internal Revenue Service. Affordable Care Act – Return Preparer Best Practices Resolving Information Form 1095 Conflicts