In 2008, Gallup—in conjunction with Healthways—started following health care insecurity, keeping track of affordability. Notably, this year marks an all-time low for health care insecurity since tracking began. Gallup-Healthways’ Well-Being Index, a survey …
2016 Presidential Election
-
-
Department of Labor (DOL)
The DOL Proposes Revisions To Form 5500: Here’s What We Know So Far
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenForm 5500 Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan and Form 5500-SF Short Form Annual Return/Report of Small Employee Benefit Plan may be receiving some changes effective January 1, 2019 should …
-
Affordable Care ActAIR
Breathe A Sigh Of Relief: AIR Is Still Available
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenMany employers have struggled with their health care information reporting for the 2015 tax year. Those difficulties include confusing forms, tedious reporting processes, and technological setbacks. While penalties are perhaps …
-
Affordable Care ActForm 1095-CHealth Care Coverage
Understanding Form 1095-C And What To Do About Errors
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenFor many employers,Form 1095-C is a new document. It is the Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage form, used to report that you have offered health care to full-time employees. …
-
Affordable Care ActPremium Tax CreditRegulationsShared Responsibility Payment
IRS Update: Premium Tax Credit And Shared Responsibility Payment
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenNew regulations have arrived for the ACA’s Premium Tax Credit and Shared Responsibility Payment provisions. For the 2015 tax year, many employers and employees encountered difficulties with regard to the …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
Marketplace Notices: They’re Not (Always) As Bad As You Think
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn May, the ACA Times released an article detailing what exactly a notice from the Health Insurance Marketplace entails. As previously stated, this notice is to inform employers that one …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoveragePenalties
ACA Modifications: We’re Not In 2010 Anymore
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was first enacted in 2010, it was with the understanding that changes would be made to the ACA after the fact. Health care reform …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Understanding Economic Realities Testing With Employee Misclassification
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe roles of independent contractors and full-time employees were often ambiguous in the past, as arguably employers’ means of classification relied in how the job was done versus who was …
-
ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActTax Filings
Don’t Make 2015’s Mistakes In 2016
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe June 30, 2016 deadline for employers to file their applicable 2015 health care tax return with theIRShas passed.For many employers, the damage is done.Skipped deadlines, misclassifications, and ignoring of …
-
Affordable Care ActApplicable Large Employer (ALE)
Small Businesses Are Still Not Moved By Health Care Tax Credits, Per Update From The GAO
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenApplicable Large Employers, i.e. those with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees, have reluctantly taken to the ACA’s mandate for employer-sponsored health care for its employees. And while …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Despite An Increase In Health Costs, Americans Find Health Care Affordable
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenFor ACA naysayers, one argument posed is that the Affordable Care Act is all but affordable. However a recent study by Gallup suggests that most Americans can afford their health …
-
ACA ComplianceHealth Care Coverage
Employers: Keep Your ACA Compliance, Even In Your Health Plan Language
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhile employers have been urged to maintain ACA compliance when it comes to reporting the health care information of its employees, there’s more to it. The Employee Retirement Income Security …
-
Affordable Care ActPolitical Parties
GOP Senate funds the ACA in 2017 joining Democrats
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt comes as no surprise that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is favored more among Democrats than Republicans. However, perhaps the tides are changing, at least when it comes to …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageRegulations
The Nondiscrimination Provision of the ACA Comes Into Effect On July 18th
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenSection 1557 of the Affordable Care Act was finalized on May 18, 2016, and will be coming into effect two months from that date on July 18, 2016. However, any …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoveragePolls/Surveys
Assisters Prove Helpful In ACA Open Enrollment
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey, the results proved the Affordable Care Act’s 2016 open enrollment had a much-needed push from assisters and brokers. The open enrollment period lasted …
-
ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
Study Reveals The Health Insurance Marketplace Doesn’t Have The Highest Premiums
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThink the Health Insurance Marketplace has the highest premiums? Think again. A report by the Commonwealth Fund reveals that the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace is not the most expensive place …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
UnitedHealth Bids Farewell To The ACA In CA
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt comes as no surprise that UnitedHealth Group is not a fan of the Affordable Care Act. This year, the health care provider claimed a financial hit in 2015 due …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Premiums Up, With The Uninsured Down
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s been quite a rollercoaster ride for the Affordable Care Act this year, as companies like UnitedHealth have spiked their premiums in an effort to combat what they reportedly found …
-
Affordable Care Act
Louisiana Joins Other States In Medicaid Expansion
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen**Updated 7/6/2016, 2:15pm** Of all the hot topics surrounding the Affordable Care Act, the state-to-state expansion of Medicaid is perhaps the hottest. Medicaid expansion arguably draws the line between Democrats …
-
For those thinking that the IRS may come a’calling, that won’t be happening anymore…at least when it comes to initial contact. In a memo dated May 20, 2016, phone calls …
-
ACA AuditACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActIRSPenalties
It’s Deadline Day! File Your ACA Forms or Face A Penalty
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWe’ve finally reached this point. Today (June 30) marks that day that all Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time equivalents must electronically file forms 1094-C and 1095-C. …
-
AIRTax Filings
It’s Deadline Day! File Your Health Care Forms Or Face A Penalty
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWe’ve finally reached this point. Today (June 30). If you’re self-insuring your employees, then you must also file forms 1094-B and 1095-B. If filed incorrectly, penalties will follow. It’s a …
-
Affordable Care ActCovered CaliforniaHealth Care Coverage
California Pioneers Move To Provide Health Care To All Immigrants
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn June 23, President Obama’s championing for Immigration reform received some sobering news when the Supreme Court thwarted Obama’s plan to protect certain illegal immigrants from possible deportation. It was …
-
ACA ComplianceTIGTA
Is Cybersecurity An Issue When Using The ACV? The TIGTA Weighs In
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a report highlighting security and testing risks when determining ACA compliance through the IRS’s ACA Compliance Validation System (ACV). Considering the …
-
Affordable Care ActAIRPenaltiesRegulations
Demystifying “Good Faith” And “Reasonable Cause”
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt was just a week ago that the IRS held their Affordable Care Act Information Returns Program (AIR) meeting, and with it came the annual publication (1586) highlighting several procedures …
-
ACA AuditACA CompliancePenalties
To Audit Or Not To Audit: How An ACA Audit Can Save Your Company’s Pockets
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt feels like the year of penalties for employers this tax season, primarily those classified by the ACA for an Applicable Large Employer (50+ full-time equivalents). This is due largely …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoveragePenalties
The 5W’s Of Employer Notices: Don’t Be Penalized
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s notice season! As an employer, you may have received a letter regarding the health care coverage of one or more of your employees. Could this notice lead to penalties …
-
ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActLawsuits
Valve is being sued. Will there be any Steam left after this lawsuit?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenLast year, Uber became entangled in multiple employee misclassification lawsuits. These primarily involved individual incidents where contracted drivers exceeded the hourly threshold to be deemed “full-time” under the Affordable Care …
-
Affordable Care ActEqual Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)Health Care Coverage
EEOC’s Final Rules On Wellness Programs Prove Workplace Wellness Is On The Rise
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s an often-overlooked aspect of preventative health care. We’re told to eat right, exercise, and take doctor-prescribed medications on schedule and any vitamins or minerals. However, when it comes to …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoveragePolitical PartiesPolls/Surveys
Americans on the ACA this Election Season
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs November looms overhead with the 2016 Presidential election, new issues continue to arise—namely, the afterthought of the importance of health care for Americans. While Americans rank health care …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
New York Insurers Under the ACA Demand Staggering Rate Increases On Premiums
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenUnited Healthcare has been quite vocal about its losses due to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), coupled with threats to withdraw from the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace come 2017. However, …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Residents Of Florida And Texas Are Behind The Expansion Of Medicaid
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn a move to provide health care for the underprivileged, the Affordable Care Act offered a Medicaid expansion—one that, to date, 19 states have still not accepted. However, a new …
-
Health Insurance Marketplace
New Survey Reflects How Consumers Feel About The Health Insurance Marketplace
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Kaiser Family Foundation has released the third installment of a survey series focusing on consumers’ opinions on their health care purchased through the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace. The survey …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
With Bigger Insurance Companies Moving Out, Newer Companies Move In
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith regard to theAffordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace, it all comes down to options. As major carriers take umbrage with various aspects of the ACA and its Marketplace, many …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Employers Weigh In On Actions In The Event Of An ACA Repeal
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt should come as no surprise that the Affordable Care Act has produced a myriad of opinions from consumers to their employers to those in government. But what would happen …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance MarketplaceRegulations
The Health Insurance Marketplace Sent You A Notice, Now What?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThis tax year, employers may notice an uptick in documents mailed, due largely to the Affordable Care Act. From tax forms to other notices, much of this paperwork is difficult …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
The Affordable Care Act Shows Big Wins For Kids
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOf all the good theAffordable Care Act has done in the way of widespread health care, a recent report shows that our children have benefitted more than most. United Press …
-
Affordable Care ActLegislation
The GOP Wins ACA Funding Dispute, But Perhaps Not For Long
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn Thursday (May 12), a federal court judge ruled against the White House’s favor, with regard to an allocation of funds spent with the ACA’s subsidy program. This program was …
-
Health Care CoverageRegulations
The IRS Reveals Projected Inflation Figures For 2017
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn the recently released Rev. Proc. 2016-28, the IRS as identified inflation adjustments to Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for the upcoming 2017 calendar year. Those affected figures include primarily deductions …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Cutting Hours To Avoid Health Care Coverage Brings Dave & Busters Under Legal Scrutiny
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenA class-action lawsuit has been filed outside of federal courts in New York against restaurant and gaming chain Dave & Busters. The reason? Cutting employees’ hours to duck mandatory health …
-
Affordable Care ActTax Filings
IRS Shares Success Of Premium Tax Credit Calculations For 2015
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe 2015 tax year was a transitional one in the world of health care as the Affordable Care Act modified several procedures in the way of filing for health care …
-
Affordable Care ActCovered California
California Exercises The Power Of Persuasion With Premiums
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhile the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace provides great options for those in pursuit of health care, the ability to negotiate premiums is a missing key component. However, thanks …
-
Affordable Care ActTax Filings
IRS Electronic Filing: It’s Not As Simple As You Think
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenFor many employers, the 2015 tax season included new health care documentation under the Affordable Care Act with regard to employees. Forms such as 1094-C and 1095-C apply directly to …
-
ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActPenalties
ACA Penalties To Hit $228 Billion
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2015 marked the first year where the Affordable Care Act was arguably set into clear motion, as new policies and mandates from employer to employee and covering others were just …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageLawsuitsRegulations
The ACA: A Gift And A Curse For Uber
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIn the often-oversimplified world of contractor-based employment, the Affordable Care Act is a blessing in disguise: “employees” can readily obtain health care with the financial burden falling off the “employer.” …
-
ACA ComplianceAffordable Care Act
The DO’s and DON’Ts Of ACA Compliance
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Affordable Care Act (ACA) has undoubtedly affected most companies and their move toward organization to address the ACA. Although more businesses may become familiar to the mandates proposed by …
-
Health Care CoveragePolls/Surveys
High Deductibles Don’t Promote Price Shopping
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWill consumers make more cost-effective choices of health services and doctors if they are spending their own money? Common sense suggests they would, but researchers have found that consumers don’t …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageRegulations
Is Individual Shared Responsibility Your Responsibility?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenSince the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the goal in mind is to ensure that every American has received or has been given access to adequate health coverage. While …
-
Health Care CoverageTax Filings
Health Coverage Information Returns: A Key Date Calendar
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhile many if not most of the 2015 tax season deadlines have already passed, some information-filing deadlines are steadily approaching. Some have been already been extended, including the deadline for …
-
Affordable Care ActHealth Insurance Marketplace
How Would A Withdrawal from the ACA Marketplaces by United Healthcare Affect Us In 2017?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Affordable Care Act is not entirely a fan favorite among some health care providers, at least as far as UnitedHealth Group is concerned. In a report released by the …