The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has reshaped the healthcare landscape, introducing a number of daunting compliance challenges in the process. Navigating the ACA compliance landscape can be challenging, even for…
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The landscape of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been witnessing significant shifts, particularly concerning subsidies and their implications. We’ve recently explored how IRS safe harbors for affordability help businesses…
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Affordable Care Act
Reinsurance in Virginia: Navigating the Uncertainties and Implications
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn the ever-evolving landscape of health insurance, Virginia finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. The recent inability of the Virginia General Assembly to reach a consensus on the reinsurance program…
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Affordable Care Act
National Uninsured Rate Reaches All-Time Low in 2023
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a report showing that the national uninsured rate reached an all-time low of 7.7 percent in early 2023. This…
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The IRS has issued its first ACA penalty letters for tax year 2021. While employers have been forewarned, many may not be fully armed to respond in a timely and…
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ACA Resource
Employer’s Guide to Coding The 1095-C Forms
Head into the ACA filing season with the guide that makes it crystal clear how to complete Forms 1095-C. Including real world scenarios and a code glossary, the Employer’s Guide to Coding ACA Form 1095-C has you covered with everything you need to know to file with confidence.
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House Republicans recently passed a package of health insurance bills, known as the CHOICE Act, intended to reduce health insurance costs for certain businesses and consumers. The proposed reforms would…
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Is your business ready to face increased government scrutiny of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Employer Mandate compliance? A recent surge in resources targeting tax evaders and ACA enforcement means that…
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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has undergone recent developments that carry significant implications for employer ACA compliance and reporting requirements. One of the most notable changes is the resolution of…
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ACA Reform
What Biden-era Junk Insurance Coverage Changes Mean for Employers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs the saying goes: “Elections have consequences.” That’s a lesson being driven home to employers as they consider their compliance requirements under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The U.S. has…
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Affordable Care Act
Two New Laws Transform the Illinois Health Insurance Market
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenTwo new bills signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker are likely to fundamentally reshape the Illinois health insurance market. Among the stated goals of these new pieces of legislation…
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has intensified its enforcement of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Employer Mandate, signaling a shift in its approach toward suspected non-compliance. Recent reports indicate that…
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Summer is upon us and with it come a number of opportunities, and risks, for employers. One critical area of risk is ACA compliance. The summer months mark a critical…
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ACA compliance has been a complex, time-consuming, and costly endeavor for employers across the country, and compliance isn’t made any easier by the fact that ACA requirements are dynamic and…
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Many organizations find ACA compliance to be challenging and time-consuming, leading to potential penalties from the IRS. But while almost all organizations need to comply with reporting requirements (those that…
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Looking for ways your company can potentially save hundreds of thousands of dollars? The IRS has recently handed it to you with their recently released IRS Letter 5699, also known…
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Summer is upon us and with it a number of annoyances. Mosquitos. Road construction. And those pesky Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance responsibilities that tend to slip during summer months…
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While the Affordable Care Act’s Employer Mandate is likely very well known (if not well loved) by employers, many are unaware of the ACA’s Rule of Parity, which offers some…
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Classifying workers correctly is critical for determining if the requirements of the ACA’s Employer Mandate apply to an organization. The reason? Worker classifications directly impact an employer’s Applicable Large Employer…
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One of the silver linings of the COVID-19 pandemic and all of the illness, death, and economic upheaval it created is the fact that the pandemic led to millions more…
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It’s no secret the IRS is ramping up ACA enforcement. With additional funding for improving its tax correspondence processing infrastructure, more staff than ever, and a renewed focus on compliance,…
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The deadline for electronically filing ACA forms 1094-C and 1095-C for the 2022 tax year was March 31. Did you make the deadline? If you did, were all your submissions…
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Shortly after the White House celebrated 13 years of success with the ACA last month, Northern Texas federal judge Reed O’Connor issued a nationwide injunction regarding the law’s free preventive…
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It’s true the 2022 ACA reporting season deadlines have passed, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the ACA compliance efforts and ACA penalties. As we’ve previously communicated, IRS…
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It’s no secret that IRS enforcement is ramping up. With an additional $80 billion in funding and 87,000 new agents, employers should accept the fact that ACA penalties could be…
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ACA Full-Time: What is it and Why Does it Matter? What constitutes a full-time employee under the ACA? The answer is not as simple as it seems. And getting your…
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ACA Reporting
Safe Harbors Prove ACA Affordability and Prevent Penalties (UPDATE)
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenHow do employers prove to the IRS that the healthcare plans they are offering to their workforce are affordable under the ACA? It’s an important question for Applicable Large Employers…
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Now that the IRS received an influx of resources, including $80 billion in funding and 87,000 new tax agents, employers should keep their eyes peeled for the ACA warning notice,…
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Friday, March 31, 2023, is the ACA electronic filing deadline for submitting Forms 1094-C and 1095-C to the IRS for the 2022 tax year as required by the ACA’s Employer…
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ACA Subsidies
As ACA Subsidies Wane, Worries Emerge to Ensure ACA Compliance
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen“Be careful what you wish for…” That old saying has long been used as a caution against asking for something that, once you’ve achieved it, just might come back to…
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Organizations that rely on paper filing for completing their reporting obligations under the ACA’s Employer Mandate may need to revisit their process going forward, thanks to new IRS regulations. The…
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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…
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The responsibilities under the ACA’s Employer Mandate may seem straightforward, but, in reality, complying with them can be challenging and time-consuming. An area that many Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) struggle…
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ACA Compliance
4 Ways ACA Preventive Care Provisions Will Change if New Proposed Rules Pass
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenA set of proposed rules issued by the Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, earlier this month aims to expand free access…
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There are many factors at play when determining which company shoulders the responsibility of ACA reporting falls on during a merger or acquisition. Ultimately, ACA reporting requirements are the obligation…
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Employers, take note: 2023 brings heftier IRS penalties for failure to comply with the ACA’s Employer Mandate. Under the ACA’s Employer Mandate, ALEs, or employers with 50 or more full-time and…
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are opening a special ACA enrollment period for beneficiaries losing Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage. The special enrollment period…
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ACA Deadline
California Individual Mandate ACA Furnishing Deadline is January 31
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith the New Year well underway, organizations with operations in California should give special attention to the state’s Individual Mandate and its additional ACA reporting requirements. Employers offering self-funded healthcare…
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It’s time to prepare ACA state filings for the 2022 tax year. Is your organization ready? As a reminder, on an annual basis, employers must file Forms 1094-C and 1095-C…
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ACA Compliance
There’s Been an Uptick in ACA Enrollment – Here’s Why
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenRecord numbers of Americans are enrolling in affordable healthcare through state and federal marketplaces. Nearly 16 million Americans have signed up for individual market health insurance coverage since November 1,…
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The Department of Labor (DOL) and IRS recently issued an updated memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the way the two agencies identify and enforce employee misclassifications. The agencies make clear…
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ACA Compliance
AIR Portal Opens for 2022: Time to Review ACA Filings
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEarlier this week the IRS announced that the Affordable Care Act Information Returns (AIR) portal will open tomorrow, Friday, January 13, 2023, at 6:00 a.m. Pacific time. As a result…
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The arrival of a new year marks the time to begin preparing annual 1095-C filings with the IRS and select state governments. Fortunately for employers, there aren’t any new 1095-C…
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In late 2022, the IRS issued an update regarding Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fees for 2023. Namely, that they are increasing. For plans that end on or after October…
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ACA Deadline
Federal and State ACA Reporting and Furnishing Deadlines for Employers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith a new year upon us, employers should prepare to complete ACA reporting and furnishing requirements for the 2022 tax year. As part of the annual requirements, Applicable Large Employers…
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Late last week, the IRS issued the final ACA reporting instructions for the 2022 tax year, which include both the 1094-C and 1095-C forms to be filed and furnished in…
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ACA Deadline
IRS Confirms End of ACA Good-Faith Transition Relief and More
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn December 12, the IRS issued final regulations confirming the end of good-faith transition relief. The good news is that the regulations also include a permanent, automatic 30-day extension for…
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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…
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We recently held a webinar regarding changes pertinent to the 2023 ACA reporting season. After receiving numerous questions from attendees during the event, we thought it best to compile them…
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Employers with operations in California should be familiar with the state’s Individual Mandate and the additional ACA reporting requirements, as they have been in effect since 2020. Still, organizations are…
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Understanding the details of the employer-shared responsibility provisions under the ACA can be challenging, especially as the IRS continues to issue penalties for non-compliance. One of the first steps is…