As IRS enforcement of the ACA continues to ramp up, organizations would be wise to implement a monthly compliance process, if they haven’t already. Employers that implement a monthly ACA …
2016 Presidential Election
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ACA Compliance
The Look-Back Measurement Method Can Prevent ACA Penalties
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenDetermining the accurate full-time employee count during a calendar year is important for ACA compliance. Getting it wrong can lead to inaccurate annual information filings with the IRS and subsequently …
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Affordable Care Act
Upcoming ACA Open Enrollment Shaping Up To Be Strongest Yet
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenACA open enrollment for the 2023 plan year is just over a month away, and this time, individuals may have more options and a better experience than years prior. We …
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Just when you thought the ACA was finally out of the line of fire, another lawsuit questioning its constitutionality makes its way to the forefront. This time it’s an attack …
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ACA ComplianceACA Penalties
These Common Mistakes Can Result in ACA Penalties
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWithout the right resources, managing ACA compliance responsibilities can be time-consuming and difficult. There are many issues that can arise during the course of the year that can make employers’ …
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ACA Compliance
ACA Affordability Drops to Historic Low for 2023 Tax Year
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenLast week the IRS announced the affordability percentage for Premium Tax Credits (PTCs) and employee contributions for employer-sponsored health coverage. In IRS Rev. Proc 2022-34, the agency makes clear that …
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Earlier this month the IRS issued draft ACA Forms 1094-C and 1095-C for the 2022 tax year. For the first time in years, there do not seem to be any …
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The words “summer” and “vacation” often go together. Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) should note that even though their ACA filing responsibilities have likely been satisfied due to the deadlines in …
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Employers should review their ACA compliance processes carefully in light of new data issued by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Below we’ve identified why. Key PTC findings Health exchange enrollees …
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Last month the IRS published a proposed regulation that would amend the existing rule regarding employer-sponsored Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) for family members of an employee. The proposed rule would …
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Following the 2021 tax year, the ACA has garnered the highest number of enrollments it has ever seen. Over 35 million Americans have obtained health coverage because of the ACA, …
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The IRS has made significant progress in the historic backlog it’s still facing, but it still has a long way to go. Chief IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig anticipates clearing the …
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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care Act
5 Common ACA Compliance Mistakes Restaurants Make
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOver 10 years after the ACA was first signed into law, the reporting requirements under the ACA’s Employer Mandate have proven challenging and time-consuming for most. But quick-service restaurants have …
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ACA DeadlineAffordable Care Act
March 31 is the Deadline for E-Filing ACA Returns With the IRS
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenToday, March 31, 2021, is the e-filing deadline for submitting ACA Forms 1094-C and 1095-C to the IRS for the 2022 tax year, as required by the ACA’s Employer Mandate. …
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With the 2021 ACA reporting season coming to an end later this month, employers should turn their attention to ACA compliance for the 2022 tax year. A key component of …
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ACA Compliance
IRS Increasing Staff to Clear Backlog and Support Current Tax Season
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn March 10, the Treasury issued a statement announcing that the IRS will be hiring more than 10,000 positions to assist with its current backlog and the 2021 filing season. …
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ACA DeadlineACA ReportingAffordable Care Act
Deadline to Furnish ACA Form 1095-C is Today
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe deadline for distributing the ACAS 1095-C forms to full-time employees is today, March 2. Did you make it? This deadline applies to Applicable Large Employers (ALEs), or employers with …
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This coming Monday, February 28, is the deadline for paper filing ACA Forms 1094-C and 1095-C to the IRS for the 2021 tax year. As a reminder, Applicable Large Employers …
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The IRS recently announced it is suspending certain mailings of automated collections and various other notices in an effort to get through its current backlog. As such, the agency will …
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The IRS is experiencing a massive mail backlog of unprocessed documents first caused by COVID-19. Included in that backlog of notices are ACA penalty assessments. To help the situation, the …
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Affordable Care Act
ACA Open Enrollment Reaches Record-Breaking 14.5 Million
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOver 14.5 million Americans elected to receive health coverage through one of the ACA’s insurance marketplaces during the 2022 open enrollment period. The record-breaking participation is 21% higher than the …
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The IRS penalty amounts for non-compliance of the ACA’s Employer Mandate are again increasing in 2022. Below is a rundown of the new penalty amounts and how the IRS will …
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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 …
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ACA Compliance
AIRs Portal Downtime Could Prove Problematic for Employers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn 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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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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 …
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Affordable Care Act
Remember, No Good Faith Transition Relief This Year
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWith 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 …
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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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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 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 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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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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Affordable Care Act
ACA Reporting to Grow in Complexity Due to State Individual Mandates
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenACA 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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Affordable Care Act
ACA Common Sense Reporting Act Likely to Increase Complexity
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenA 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 …