back to homepage
2016 Presidential Election
ACA PCORI Fees Increasing in 2022
Earlier this month the IRS issued a notice indicating that the fees associated with Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) are increasing this year. For plans that end on or after Read More
AIRs Portal Downtime Could Prove Problematic for Employers
On December 5, the IRS closed production of the Affordable Care Act’s Information Returns (AIRs) portal to prepare for 2021 reporting year electronic filing submissions. The agency says that the Read More
ACA Signups for Open Enrollment Hit Record Highs
Open enrollment for the 2022 plan year ends later this week but ACA signups are already hitting record new highs. Kaiser Health News cites a record-breaking 13.6 million Americans already Read More
1095-C Codes for the 2021 Tax Year
It’s 2022 and time to begin preparing the annual 1095-C filings with the IRS and select state governments. Are you ready? If you need a refresher on the different 1095-C Read More
State ACA Reporting and Furnishing Deadlines for Employers
Employers ringing in the New Year should remember that several states’ have additional ACA filing and furnishing obligations that must be completed for the 2021 tax year. To help you Read More
IRS Issues Final 2021 ACA Reporting Instructions
On December 9, 2021, the IRS published the final ACA reporting instructions for the 2021 tax year, including the final 1094-C and 1095-C forms. As expected, the forms and instructions Read More
Remember, No Good Faith Transition Relief This Year
With the New Year just a few short weeks out, employers should remember that 2020 was the final year for Good Faith Transition Relief. That means filing late or inaccurate Read More
2022 Open Enrollment Sees Lower ACA Premiums
Open enrollment period for the 2022 coverage year is well underway, and ACA premiums are continuing to drop. The federal period for obtaining health coverage kicked off on November 1 Read More
2022 ACA Deadlines To Avoid IRS Penalties
Employers preparing for a smooth 2021 filing season should keep in mind the important ACA deadlines to avoid IRS penalties. Every year, Applicable Large Employers (ALES) must file and furnish Read More
Letter 226J Notices For The 2019 Tax Year Have Arrived
The IRS is now issuing Letter 226J penalty notices to employers identified as having failed to comply with the ACA’s Employer Mandate for the 2019 tax year. Just in time Read More
ACA Filing Takeaways for The New Year
The end of the year is officially here and with it, a whirlwind of ACA responsibilities to tend to for the upcoming filing season. To assist you with your ACA Read More
IRS Proposes Automatic Extension for Furnishing 1095-C Forms
In a rather surprising turn of events, the IRS released proposed regulations that add an automatic extension to the furnishing deadline of the ACA’s 1095-C and 1095-B forms. Under the Read More
How Build Back Back Better Would Reshape U.S. Healthcare
With the Infrastructure Bill now officially signed into law, Congress will now shift its focus onto the $1.75 trillion Build Back Better proposal. In its current version, the plan could Read More
Have a Handle on ACA Compliance? Let ACA Vitals Decide
ACA reporting is heading into its seventh year, yet, many organizations still face significant obstacles to meeting the requirements of the ACA’s Employer Mandate. Under the ACA’s Employer Mandate, employers Read More
IRS Proposed Rule Could Eliminate ACA Paper Filing
Every year employers must file their ACA information via forms 1094-C and 1095-C to the IRS and any state government. For the last seven years, there have been two methods Read More
Open Enrollment Kicks Off For 2022 Plan Year
The 2022 federal open enrollment period began earlier this week and will run through January 15, 2022. Consumers will have a wide variety of options to choose from, as well Read More
Get to Know the ACA’s 1095-C Form
With the end of the year approaching quickly, ACA compliance and the subsequent ACA reporting are ramping up. Employers preparing for IRS and state filing requirements should consider the importance Read More
2021 ACA Reporting Unlikely to See Deadline Extensions
On October 2, 2020, the IRS issued Notice 2020-76, extending the deadline for employers to furnish ACA Forms 1095-C to applicable full-time employees from January 31, 2021, to March 2, Read More
Three States Launch Their Own ACA Health Exchange
Three states have successfully transitioned away from the federal healthcare.gov ACA exchange to operate on their own-state run marketplace. On October 4, Maine, New Mexico, and Kentucky completed the transition Read More
Data Quality Management Is Key to ACA Compliance
Many of the challenges posed by the Affordable Care Act’s Employer Mandate are inherently data problems. Data quality management is not just an issue for larger employers with multiple Read More
Missouri Medicaid Expansion Sees Immediate Success
Missouri’s ACA Medicaid expansion is already seeing substantial growth in terms of health coverage enrollment and participation. The state originally expanded Medicaid and Medicare at the height of the COVID-19 Read More
ACA Penalty Amounts for 2022 Tax Year Surface
The IRS recently announced the ACA affordability percentage for the 2022 tax year and with that information comes speculation around the Employer Mandate’s IRC Section 4980H(a) and (b) penalty amounts Read More
ACA Looks Strong Heading into 2022 Open Enrollment
The ACA is receiving some of the highest approval ratings since it was first signed into law in 2010. According to a June poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), Read More
Employers Must Now Do More To Contest ACA Penalties From the IRS
It’s no surprise that the IRS is increasing its enforcement efforts of the ACA’s Employer Mandate, but the amended Letter 226J language indicates that the agency is taking it to Read More
3 Resources To Assist Employers With 2021 ACA Reporting
The end of the 2021 tax year and the subsequent tax season are approaching rapidly. What precautions is your organization taking to ensure a smooth ACA reporting experience this year? Read More
ACA Affordability For 2022 Tax Year to Decrease
For the 2022 tax year, the ACA affordability threshold will decrease to 9.61%. According to IRS Revenue Procedure 2021-36 all health plans offered by employers beginning January 1, 2022, will Read More
Classify Workers Correctly to Determine ALE Status and Avoid ACA Penalties
Classifying workers is an important step for employers determining if the requirements of the ACA’s Employer Mandate apply to them. That’s because worker classifications directly impact an employer’s applicable large Read More
Introducing The Employer’s Guide to Coding ACA Form 1095-C
The fourth quarter is here and the inevitable tax filing season is right around the corner. Employers should give special attention to their ACA reporting obligations this year as there Read More
Court Case Challenges ACA’s Free Preventative Care
In the series of legal challenges against the ACA, the latest is an attack on free preventative care and it just may undermine significant advancements made to the U.S. healthcare Read More
ACA Reporting to Grow in Complexity Due to State Individual Mandates
ACA reporting is complex and the process has only grown more challenging as states continue to enact additional state-level ACA reporting requirements as a function of their Individual Mandates. But Read More
House Democrats Share More ACA Advancements in $3.5 Trillion Plan
Democrats in the House of Representatives have shared their plans for ACA healthcare expansion as part of a proposed $3.5 trillion package. Included in the proposal are several provisions that Read More
ACA Common Sense Reporting Act Likely to Increase Complexity
A bill known as the Common Sense Reporting Act could fundamentally change the way employers report their ACA information to the IRS annually if it is signed into law. First Read More
ACA Navigators to Receive Additional Funding For 2022
The Biden administration is making sure that the upcoming open enrollment period is a successful one. Most recently the administration announced that it will be increasing funding for ACA navigators. Read More
HHS Lowers Cost-Sharing Reduction Limits for 2022
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently made available an FAQ specifying the cost-sharing reduction limits (CSR) for the 2022 tax year. In the FAQ, the HHS makes Read More
Avoid These Compliance Triggers to Minimize ACA Penalty Risk
It’s become abundantly clear that the IRS is ramping its enforcement of tax compliance. With Biden requesting additional funding for the agency, employers should note that as part of increased Read More
Recapping The ACA’s Special Enrollment Period
August 15 was the deadline for Biden’s federal special enrollment period. Preliminary data finds over 2.5 million Americans opted to receive healthcare coverage. Of the 2.5 million, 1.8 million enrolled Read More
ACA Measurement Methods Are Critical for Avoiding IRS Penalties
If you or someone you know has been hit with IRS Letter 226J, you know that it is no laughing matter. The IRS is currently issuing these ACA penalty assessments Read More
IRS Releases Further Guidance on COBRA Continuation Coverage
The IRS recently issued a notice that further clarifies the usage of Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) coverage as amended via the American Rescue Plan (ARP). IRS Notice 2021-46 Read More![Calculating FT and FTE Employees [UPDATED]](https://acatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/Friday-Repost-FT-_-FTE_BLOG-269x180_c.jpg)
Calculating FT and FTE Employees [UPDATED]
As part of their annual filing of healthcare coverage information with the IRS, organizations must determine if they are Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) for purposes of the Affordable Care Act Read More
Health Carriers Are Benefiting From The ACA
Several health carriers are experiencing growth because of the recent Affordable Care Act advancements. Most notably is CVS Health Corp. and its affiliated health insurance business, Aetna. Last week the Read More
CMS Proposed Rule to Provide Greater Access to ACA Coverage
The Biden administration is yet again making strides to bolster the Affordable Care Act. This time, it’s through a proposed rule that aims to strengthen the ACA’s federal and state Read More
The New HRA Regulations Explained
Earlier this year the IRS released final regulations regarding the relationship between Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions (ESRP) and individual coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). And then they were withdrawn by Read More
Special Enrollment Period Doubles Enrollees, Final Month Approaches
In June, the ACA’s special enrollment period garnered 1 million sign-ups through the federal health exchange, HealthCare.gov. A month later and the number of enrollees has doubled. On July 14, Read More
The Look-Back Measurement Method Can Help Prevent ACA Penalties
Determining the accurate full-time employee count during a calendar year is important for Affordable Care Act compliance. Classifying employees incorrectly can lead to inaccurate information being submitted to the IRS Read More
IRS Issues Draft ACA Reporting Instructions for 2021
The IRS recently released its draft 1094-C and 1095-C instructions for the 2021 tax year. We’ve identified the changes below. It appears that Form 1094-C will remain the same, but Read More
IRS Begins Issuing Letter 5699 For 2019 Tax Year
We’ve heard from our partners and brokers that the IRS has begun issuing Letter 5699 to employers for the 2019 tax year. Officially called “Missing Information Return Form 1094/1095-C,” Letter Read More
The IRS’s Forms 1095 For the ACA Explained
A number of changes were introduced to the health insurance marketplace with the passage of the ACA in 2010. From different reporting forms and health insurance plan requirements to the Read More
The Annual ACA PCORI Fees Are Due in August
The annual PCORI fees deadline is always July 31. Since that falls on a Saturday this year, however, employers and health insurers offering self-funded health insurance plans will need to Read More
ACA Survives Supreme Court, Focus Shifts to More Advancements
Earlier this month the Supreme Court issued its decision to uphold the ACA, dismissing the challengers who asserted it was unconstitutional. So, what happens next? Now that the healthcare law Read More
