This is true whether you shop on the federal marketplace — at HealthCare. If you qualify, the government will send advance payment directly to your insurance provider, lowering your monthly costs. If you work for a business with fewer than 50 employees, your employer is not required to offer coverage. You can still shop on the exchange for health care and receive Obamacare subsidies in this case. To know whether you or your family qualify for tax subsidies, you have to estimate your total income for the upcoming year. If you make less, you may get an extra subsidy. Lacie Glover is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website.