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…
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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…
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Affordable Care Act
Letter 226J Notices For The 2019 Tax Year Have Arrived
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe 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…
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ACA Deadline
IRS Proposes Automatic Extension for Furnishing 1095-C Forms
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn 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…
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ACA ComplianceACA Reform
How Build Back Back Better Would Reshape U.S. Healthcare
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith 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…
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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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ACA ComplianceACA Reporting
Have a Handle on ACA Compliance? Let ACA Vitals Decide
by Chris Areyby Chris AreyACA 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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care Act
Data Quality Management Is Key to ACA Compliance
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenMany 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 HR…
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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-19pandemic…
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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…
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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),…
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ACA Compliance
Employers Must Now Do More To Contest ACA Penalties From the IRS
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s no surprise that the IRSis increasing its enforcement efforts of the ACA’s Employer Mandate, but the amended Letter 226J language indicates that the agency is taking it to the…
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ACA Compliance
3 Resources To Assist Employers With 2021 ACA Reporting
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe 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?…
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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…
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ACA ComplianceACA Reporting
Introducing The Employer’s Guide to Coding ACA Form 1095-C
by Chris Areyby Chris AreyThe 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…
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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…
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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…
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Affordable Care Act
House Democrats Share More ACA Advancements in $3.5 Trillion Plan
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenDemocrats 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…
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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…
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ACA Compliance
ACA Navigators to Receive Additional Funding For 2022
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe 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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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ACA Compliance
CMS Proposed Rule to Provide Greater Access to ACA Coverage
by Chris Areyby Chris AreyThe 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…
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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…
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Affordable Care Act
Special Enrollment Period Doubles Enrollees, Final Month Approaches
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn 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,…
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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…
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Affordable Care Act
IRS Begins Issuing Letter 5699 For 2019 Tax Year
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWe’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…
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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…
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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…
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ACA Compliance
ACA Survives Supreme Court, Focus Shifts to More Advancements
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEarlier 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…
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ACA ReportingAffordable Care Act
Understanding ACA Forms 1094-C/1095-C
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenEmployers required to comply with the ACA’s Employer Mandate must report their full-time employee’s healthcare information to the IRS annually via forms 1094-C and 1095-C, but what exactly are these…
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On Thursday, June 17, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the case that asserts the ACA is unconstitutional, without even ruling on the underlying argument. In a…
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4 min read It is a sign of good government that agencies tasked with enforcing complex statutes increase efficiency over time. When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)…
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A record-breaking 31 million Americans have obtained ACA healthcare coverage, according to new data issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The data, based on enrollment information…
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3 min read The Supreme Court case in which the Justices consider whether the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional without the Individual Mandate will see a judicial decision any day…
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The IRS announced that there is no statute of limitations for ACA penalties. What does that mean exactly? Simply put, it means that the ACA non-compliance penalties for any reporting…
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Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Exchanges
ACA Special Enrollment Period Garners 1 Million Enrollees
by Chris Areyby Chris Arey3 min read President Biden’s special enrollment period has already generated 1 million additional sign-ups on the federal ACA health exchange. New Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra…
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May 31 is the deadline for self-insured employers and health insurance carriers to submit applicable ACA information to the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) for the 2020 tax year. The…
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3 min read ACA reporting for the 2021 tax year may not be top of mind for employers right now, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of the…
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3 minute read: We recently hosted a webinar on the growing number of states requiring ACA reporting in addition to federal filing with the IRS. With the 2020 tax year…
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3 minute read: A federal court recently invalidated significant parts of a Trump administration rule affecting the Affordable Care Act (ACA). What this decision means and how it could impact…
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3 minute read: Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) has reshaped the way Americans receive and qualify for healthcare coverage, including COBRA. Before diving into the specifics of how the ARP…
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3 minute read: If you found yourself in a situation where you received receipt of your ACA information returns for 2020 with a status of “Accepted with Errors,” you’re not…