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 …
December 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 …