One in five (20%) working-age Americans with health insurance say problems paying medical bills often force them to work longer hours, take a second job, spend less on food, use …
2015
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Nearly 275,000 consumers selected health care plans through the Healthcare.gov online marketplace during the eighth week of open enrollment, according to the “weekly snapshot report” issued by the Department of …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageIRS
Reporting Deadlines Extended
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS has extended by almost two months the due date for providing employees with Affordable Care Act information forms, and provided an extra three months for filing the required …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Medicaid and ACA Split the GOP
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenRepublicans in Congress are finding themselves in the awkward position of arguing against the Affordable Care Act and its expansion of Medicaid coverage at the same time that Republican governors …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageIRSTax Filings
About The New ACA Information Statements
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenRecognizing that many individuals will receive new ACA information statements for the first time in 2016, the IRS issued a memo aimed at helping consumers understand the documents. The explanation …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Medical Expenses a Burden for Low-Income Insureds
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe combined costs of premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses can exceed 20% of household income for some low-income individuals who purchase health insurance through an Affordable Care Act exchange, a …
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The IRS has issued Notice 2016-02 to provide information regarding the health coverage tax credit, or HCTC. The 14-page notice explains who can claim the HCTC, the amount of the …
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Affordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)IRSPenalties
“Pay or Play” Penalties For 2015 and 2016
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS has announced the 2015 and 2016 “pay or play” penalties, adjusted for inflation, that may be imposed on employers who fail to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s …
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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)
Why the Number of Employees Matters
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEmployer benefits, opportunities and requirements under the Affordable Care Act are all dependent upon the employer’s workforce size, the IRS points out. Generally, an employer with 50 or more full-time …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageTax Filings
The Information Employers Must Provide, and When
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS reminds employers that, beginning in 2016, the Affordable Care Act requires them and other providers of minimum essential coverage to report certain information about employees’ health coverage in …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
1.3 Million Sign Up in Week 6
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenMore than 1.3 million consumers signed up for health coverage through the Healthcare.gov online marketplace during the sixth week of open enrollment, according to the “weekly snapshot report” issued by …
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Affordable Care ActCadillac Tax
Congress Suspends “Cadillac” and Medical Device Taxes
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenCongress has delayed for two years implementation the Affordable Care Act’s controversial “Cadillac Tax” on costly plans, suspended for two years the on medical devices. The changes were included in …
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Health Care CoverageMedicaid/Medicare
Help for Shoppers Added To HealthCare.gov
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenNew consumer shopping aids are being made available to visitors to Healthcare.gov, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced. The new Out of Pocket Cost calculator, Doctor and …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Federal Fees Cause States to Consider Own Exchanges
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe prospect of stiff new fees for using the federal Healthcare.gov online marketplace is causing several states to consider launching their own Affordable Care Act platforms, despite some previous attempts …
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Affordable Care ActCovered CaliforniaHealth Care Coverage
California Targets Neighborhoods With High Rates Of Uninsured
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenCovered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act insurance exchange, is intensifying efforts to sign people up in areas of the state that have exceptionally high numbers of uninsured residents. It …
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The Healthcare.govonline marketplace was used by 804,338 consumers to select insurance plans during the fifth week of open enrollment, according to the “weekly snapshot report” issued by the Department of …
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Affordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)
ACA Reporting Deadlines are Approaching
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS has issued a reminder of the deadlines for applicable large employers to file Affordable Care Act information reports, and pointed out that the requirements apply whether or not …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
When Insurance Can Be Excluded From Income
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenA memo from the IRS Chief Counsel clarifies when an employer’s payment for health insurance provided under a spouse’s group health plan can be excluded from the employee’s income. The …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageTax Filings
HHS Wants To Ease Exemption Claims
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) wants to make it easier for low-income people to take advantage of the “hardship exemption” from the individual mandate of the Affordable …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
ACA Is Benefiting Minorities
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Affordable Care Act has significantly improved access to healthcare for African-Americans and Latinos, with those groups benefiting slightly more whites, according to a study published in a medical journal. …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoveragePolitical Parties
How Will The Newly Insured Vote?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs millions of Americans have gained health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, analysts are pondering whether this change in status will have implications on how these individuals vote. …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Week 4 Plan Selections Near 395,000
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Healthcare.gov online marketplace was used by 394,732 consumers to select insurance plans during the fourth week of open enrollment, according to the “weekly snapshot report” issued by the Department …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageMedicaid/Medicare
Slower Growth in National Health Spending
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenPer-capita health care spending grew by 4.5% in 2014, and overall health spending grew by 5.3%, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a slower rates of …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
10% of Big Nonprofits Seek Contraception Waivers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOne in 10 nonprofit organizations that have more than 1,000 employees have asked for an “accommodation” to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health plans include coverage for contraception. Federal …
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With recent governors’ elections in Kentucky and Louisiana refocusing attention on state Medicaid expansion decisions, the Kaiser Family Foundation has published an overview of the waivers obtained by six states, …
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The Healthcare.gov online marketplace was used by 567,822 consumers to select insurance plans during the third week of open enrollment, according to the “weekly snapshot report” issued by the The …
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Health Insurance Marketplace
CMS Proposes Improvements for 2017 Marketplace
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued proposals for companies that will participate in the Health Insurance Marketplaces in 2017 that are aimed at improving the consumer experience, …
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Health Care CoverageHealth Insurance Marketplace
Five Facts about Deductibles
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenConsumers who shop for coverage at HealthCare. gov have a variety of plans from which to choose, allowing them to find a plan that meets their health needs and budget. …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Week 2 Plan Selections Top 500,000
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Healthcare.gov online marketplace was used by 534,778 consumers to select insurance plans during the second week of open enrollment, according to the “weekly snapshot report” issued by the Department …
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The IRS is providing information to help companies understand the requirements for electronic filing information related to the Affordable Care Act. Information and transmittals can be electronically filed through the Information …
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Affordable Care ActRegulations
Final Regulations Issued for ACA Market Reforms
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn a 379-page document, the , the Labor Department and the Department and Human Services jointly issued finalized regulations on half a dozen topics related to the Act. The regulations …
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Most primary care doctors report that the Affordable Care Act has caused no change in their ability to provide quality care, although like the general population their opinions about the …
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Affordable Care ActDepartment and Human Services (HHS)
HHS Will Test Bundled Fee for Joint Replacements
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenA unit the Department and Human Services (HHS) will test bundled and quality for hip and knee replacement, beginning April 1, 2016. The test is aimed at encouraging hospitals, physicians …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Millions Use Healthcare.gov in Week 1
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAlmost 3.2 million consumers used the website during the first open for Act , the Department and Human Services announced in its initial weekly “snapshot” report for the current . …
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Affordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)
IRS Posts Information for Large Employers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Internal Revenue Services has added a page to its website which centralizes information to help “applicable large employers” comply with provisions of the Affordable Care Act. An applicable large …
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Affordable Care ActLegislationRegulations
Contraception Back Before Supreme Court
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAt the request the Obama administration, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case centered on religious freedom and access to contraception under the Act. The court will hear …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageLegislationRegulations
Tax Considerations During Open Enrollment
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe is alerting consumers to three matters they should consider while purchasing or renewing via an online . When a consumer applies for assistance to help pay the premiums for …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageRegulations
Mid-Size Companies Must Offer Coverage in 2016
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEmployers with 50 to 99 full-time workers, or full-time equivalents, will be required to offer Affordable Care Act-compliant health insurance in 2016. Companies with 100 or more employees (or FTEs), …
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Affordable Care ActLegislationRegulations
ACA Automatic Enrollment Repealed
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe “automatic enrollment” provision of the Affordable Care Act, never enforced, has been repealed under the budget deal hammered out between Congress and the White House and signed into law …
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Health Care CoverageHealth Insurance Marketplace
Premiums For Key Plans Up An Average Of 7.5%
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenPremiums will increase an average 7.5% for the second-lowest- silver insurance plans offered next year in the 37 states where the federal government operates marketplaces, according to a Kaiser Foundation …
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Health Care CoveragePrescription Drugs
Prescription Drug Costs Are Top Issue For Public
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith presidential candidates in both parties proposing changes to the nation’s health care system, most consumers are much more interested in the cost of prescription drugs, according to a poll …
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The third annual open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act insurance coverage begins November 1, continuing through January 31. The federal government and many states are launching public information campaigns …
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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)Health Care CoverageMinimum Essential Coverage
How To Know If Coverage Meets ACA Requirements
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenUnder the Affordable Care Act, employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees – called applicable large employers, or ALEs – are subject to the employer shared responsibility …
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Well over a million low-income Americans could lose the subsidies they receive under the Affordable Care Act because they failed to file federal income tax returns, failed to include IRS …
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Health Care CoveragePolls/Surveys
Deductibles Causing Patients to Delay Care
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEmergency room physicians say more of the patients they see have delayed seeking medical care despite having health insurance, because of high out-of-pocket expenses, high deductibles or high co-insurance. In …
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The IRS reminded employers, insurance providers and other entities that provide coverage under the Affordable Care Act of their reporting obligations under the ACA and the 2016 deadlines for submitting …
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Tax Year 2015 ACA Assurance Testing System (AATS) will open for testing in early November for Information Returns that will be processed in 2016, the IRS announced. The testing is …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Pennsylvania Limits Premium Hikes on ACA Plans
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenPennsylvania’s insurance regulator has rolled back the health insurance premium increases some of the state’s largest insurers had requested for plans that will be sold on its marketplace in 2016. …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Health Program Launched for Low-Income New Yorkers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenNew York State has introduced a new affordable health insurance plan designed for low-income residents who make too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private …
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If You Don’t Have SSNs, Keep Asking for Them Many of the forms employers will have to file with the IRS early in 2016 ask for Social Security or taxpayer …