Cringe-worthy moments — they happen to the best of us. Like when you accidentally ask your server at a restaurant to start a tab (er, it’s 7:00 PM and this isn’t a college bar, ma’am). Or when you botched candy duty on Halloween by wishing too many trick-or-treaters a Merry Christmas (in my defense, it was a very snowy Halloween, and I greeted more than one Elf). In any case, these moments usually cross your mind inexplicably while you’re shopping for a space heater on Amazon, and they’re guaranteed to make you want to crawl under office furniture.

As health insurance premiums for 2017 were released this month, I’m certain many of us were ready to bunker under our desks, or start an actual bar tab. The numbers were not pretty. Cringe-worthy, yes. But, unlike other painfully awkward and unpleasant memories to reflect on, the rates we’ve seen may be offset if you qualify for financial help via subsides. Just as premiums rose for many consumers who buy insurance on the individual marketplace, their subsidies will increase commensurately. If you were able to apply a premium tax credit to your plan last year, and your income and family size have not changed, you will likely qualify for financial help, again, and pay a similar amount for coverage in 2017.

The only way to qualify for this financial help is to enroll through Minnesota’s health insurance exchange, MNsure. An agent can assist you to complete or update your application, explain your subsidy amount, and find a plan that matches your needs and budget.

Below, we see a couple of helpful graphics from MNsure, which demonstrate increased subsidies for 2017. Not cringe-worthy at all.

Don’t leave money on the table! Schedule a free appointment with an agent to see if you qualify for tax credits.

MNsure tax credits can help offset or even lower premiums this year. Shop with your agent before 11/1 to decide on the best plan for you and your family.