For Get Covered Illinois, a household usually includes the tax filer, their spouse, their tax dependents, and any children or stepchildren under 19 who live with you. Follow these basic rules when including members of your household:
- Include yourself
- Include your spouse* or domestic partner
- Include anyone you plan to claim as a tax dependent even if they don't live with you for the year you want coverage
- Include unmarried partners only if you have a child together or you’ll claim your partner as a tax dependent
- Include any child or stepchild under 19 you take care of and who lives with you, even if they are not your tax dependent.
- Include all members of your household or tax filing group even if they don’t live with you or need health coverage
*You don't have to include your spouse if you are a victim of domestic abuse, domestic violence, or spousal abandonment.
Learn more about who you can claim as a tax dependent from the IRS.
See the limited exceptions to these basic rules in the chart below.
| Relationship | Include in household? | Notes |
| Dependent children, including adopted and foster children | Yes | Include any child you'll claim as a tax dependent, regardless of age. |
| Children, shared custody | Sometimes | Include children whose custody you share only during years you claim them as tax dependents. |
| Non-dependent child under 26 or disabled child of any age | Sometimes | Include them only if you want to cover them on your Marketplace plan. |
| Children under 19 you take care of | Yes | Include any child under 19 you take care of and who lives with you, even if not your tax dependent. |
| Dependent parents | Yes | Include parents only if you’ll claim them as tax dependents. |
| Dependent siblings and other relatives | Yes | Include them only if you’ll claim them as tax dependents. |
| Other relative living with you | No | Include them only if you’ll claim them as tax dependents. |
| Spouse | Yes | Include your legally married spouse, whether opposite sex or same sex. |
| Legally separated spouse | Sometimes | Don’t include a legally separated spouse, even if you live together unless you file taxes jointly or have a minor child in common. |
| Divorced spouse | No | Don't include a former spouse, even if you live together. |
| Spouse, living apart | Yes | Include your spouse unless you’re legally separated or divorced. (See next row for an important exception.) |
| Spouse, if you’re a victim of domestic abuse, domestic violence, or spousal abandonment | Not required | In these cases, you don’t have to include your spouse. |
| Roommate | No | Don’t include people you just live with — unless they’re a spouse, tax dependent, partner with which you share a child, or covered by another exception in this chart. |
What if I’m a dependent on someone else’s tax return and want to get Marketplace coverage myself?
Whether or not you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return you may complete an application for coverage on Get Covered Illinois. To be considered for financial assistance, you must include income information for all members of the household for which you can be claimed as a dependent.