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Tag "Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC)"
ACA Employer Mandate Penalties Increasing in 2021
3 minute read: Earlier this year, the IRS issued the 2021 employer mandate penalties under IRC 4980H(a) and 4980H(b). It should come as no surprise that the penalty amounts have Read More
ACA Likely to Remain Following Supreme Court Oral Arguments
3 minute read: The Affordable Care Act may have avoided the possibility of being removed once and for all, as the Supreme Court hearing last week suggests. The California v. Read More
Prop 22 has Significant Implications on ACA Healthcare Benefits
2 minute read: With everyone’s attention focused on the results of the presidential election, folks may not realize that California Prop 22 will pass. As of November 6, the status Read More
IRS Announces COVID-19 Tax Relief Initiative to Help Taxpayers
2 minute read: On November 2, 2020, the IRS announced several changes to its collection procedures to assist struggling taxpayers impacted by COVID-19. These changes include: Taxpayers who qualify for Read More
Election Day Recap and Potential ACA Changes
3 minute read: Heading into Election Day, a record-breaking one million Americans cast their ballots early, creating a myriad of potential challenges for determining a clear victor in the 2020 Read More
Lower ACA Premiums Heading into Open Enrollment for 2021
3 minute read: The Healthcare.gov open enrollment period for the 2021 tax year will begin on November 1, 2020, and will run through December 15. Surprisingly, premiums are down and Read More
The New 1095-C Codes for 2020 Explained
2 minute read: We recently covered the ins and outs of the ACA’s Form 1095-C. Now, we will be covering the new codes that are anticipated for the 2020 tax Read More
D.C. Upholds Health Carrier Tax, Supporting ACA Health Exchanges
3 minute read: An argument regarding the District of Columbia’s ACA health exchange tax was decided late last month. The decision rules in favor of the tax, supporting state-run health Read More
IRS to Require Reporting of ICHRAs on Tax Forms for 2020
2 minute read: An Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) can be beneficial for employers and employees alike. According to HealthCare.gov, employers can “control costs by providing defined non-taxed reimbursements Read More
Possible ACA Outcomes If Joe Biden Is Elected in November
2 minute read: With the 2020 presidential election a few short weeks out, it’s incredibly important that voters understand what Joe Biden versus Donald Trump will do to the ACA Read More
Form 1095-C Deadline Approaching, Employers Avoid Penalties
2 minute read: “What exactly is Form 1095-C?” It’s a question that employers often ask when they’re first introduced to the responsibilities of the ACA’s Employer Mandate. In this post, Read More
SCOTUS Nominee & ACA Compliance Complications
2 minute read: With the potential of Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, becoming the newest justice on the U.S. Supreme Court in time for the November 10, 2020 hearing on Read More
Employers Must Show Reasonable Cause for Failure to File IRS Forms
2 minute read: The IRS imposes penalties for late filing of Forms 1094-C and 1095-C or for late furnishing of Forms 1095-C under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Sections 6721 and Read More
Big IRS News Concerning 2020 ACA Deadlines
2 minute read: The IRS just released very important guidance concerning employers’ obligations under the Affordable Care Act. Notice 2020-76, released October 2, 2020, addresses a broad array of topics Read More
Proposition 22 Will Require Healthcare Subsidies and Reporting
2 minute read: Proponents of Proposition 22 have flooded TV airwaves with ads warning against the loss of jobs if Prop 22 does not pass. Prop 22 is a ballot Read More
ACA Expectations Heading into the 2020 Election
3 minute read: As the fourth quarter of 2020 draws near, so does the presidential election. A popular topic of debate to be addressed in the coming election is healthcare, Read More
IRS Releases New ACA Filing Information for the 2020 Tax Year
2 minute read: The IRS has published various Affordable Care Act Information Returns (AIRs) documents for the 2020 tax year with which employers will need to familiarize themselves before filing Read More
What You Need to Know About Letter 5699
2 minute read: What Is Letter 5699? Letter 5699, Missing Information Return Form 1094/1095-C, is used to make initial contact with an organization that the IRS believes may have been Read More
New IRS Notice Addresses COVID-19, Medicaid, and the ACA
2 minute read: New IRS guidance addresses the intersection of COVID-19, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In a bid to increase COVID-19 testing in the U.S., one facet Read More
CA AB2257 and Its Impact on ACA and Pay Equity Compliance
2 minute read: California’s AB 5 has forever changed how employers work with freelance workers; that much is certain. A new bill, however, may provide relief for employers that work Read More
What California Residents Need to Know About the Individual Mandate
2 minute read: As the summer begins to wind down, the events that mark the end of the year draw near. For residents of California, it could be the reality Read More
ACA to Aid Millions in Obtaining Healthcare, KFF Report Finds
2 minute read: The data is in: at least 27 million Americans have lost employer-sponsored health coverage as a result of COVID-19. The Kaiser Family Foundation issued a report in Read More
ACA Reporting to Grow in Complexity Due to State Individual Mandates
3 minute read: Employers with operations in states that have additional state level ACA reporting as a requirement of the state’s Individual Mandate know that it’s no easy undertaking, but Read More
New Jersey Adopts ACA Provision to Lower Healthcare Costs
3 minute read: Earlier this month, New Jersey signed into law a state version of an Affordable Care Act provision, the Health Insurance Assessment (HIA) program. New Jersey is the Read More
ACA Compliance Responsibilities Could Increase if the Federal Government Adopts the ABC Test for Employee Misclassification
3 minute read: A tsunami for the gig economy may be coming on the horizon. We have written recently about the ongoing issues that gig economy employers, such as Uber Read More
ACA Affordability to Increase for the 2021 Tax Year
2 minute read: For the 2021 tax year, the ACA affordability threshold will increase. That means employees will likely have to contribute more towards their employer-sponsored healthcare. IRS Notice Rev Read More
ACA Expansion of Medicaid Passes in Missouri
3 minute read: In yet another triumphant win for the Affordable Care Act, the state of Missouri approved and passed the expansion of Medicaid. The expansion comes after nearly 53% Read More
Most States Reject Trump ACA STLDI Rule as DC Circuit Says It’s Here to Stay
2 minute read: The convergence of insurance regulation at the federal and state levels keeps getting more complex. In July, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Trump administration Read More
Gig-Economy Worker Benefits Will Affect ACA Compliance
3 minute read: It’s no mystery that both companies and consumers benefit from the gig-economy, but what about the workers? Sure, it provides a means to an end, but workers Read More
Employee Misclassification Laws Add Headache to Employer ACA Compliance
3 minute read: In the past year three states have implemented laws that broaden the definition of “employee” and include penalties or additional liability exposure for employers who misclassify their Read More
More ACA Complexity: California Releases Draft Instructions Diverge From ACA Employer Reporting
2 minute read: With the zeroing out of the ACA’s “Individual Mandate,” which required individuals to have minimum essential health coverage through the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Read More
ACA Enhancement Bill Telling of the Times
2 minute read: House of Representative Democrats have unveiled a bill that would enhance many of the ACA’s components while reversing much of the Trump administration’s onslaught to the healthcare Read More
Trump ACA Contraceptive Rule Upheld by Supreme Court
2 minute read: On July 8, 2020 the Supreme Court handed down its decision in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Pennsylvania, upholding the new Trump Administration rule regarding contraceptive Read More
ACA’s Expansion of Medicaid Takes Hold in Oklahoma
3 minute read: In late June, Oklahoma joined 37 other states and the District of Columbia in expanding Medicaid under the ACA. Better late than never and in good timing Read More
Proposed Rules allow for More Flexibility to Grandfathered Group Health Plans
2 minute read: The Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Labor and the Department of Health and Human Services have jointly released a notice of proposed rulemaking to Read More
Californians Beware, The Individual ACA Penalty Has Increased
2 minute read: California residents that fail to obtain qualified health coverage this year will receive a penalty from the state for an amount larger than first projected. Per California’s Read More
IRS to Begin Issuing ACA Penalty Letters after July 15, 2020
2 minute read: Employers should start gearing up for IRS penalty letters issued under the Affordable Care Act. According to an announcement posted on the IRS website, the IRS has Read More
Virginia’s New Misclassification Law Will Impact Employers ACA Compliance
2 minute read: Virginia has decided to get into the worker misclassification game with the passage and implementation of HB 984 on July 1, 2020. Unlike states such as California Read More
Employers, Are You Prepared for the DC 1094-C/1095-C Filing Requirements?
2 minute read: Washington DC is one of several jurisdictions to have implemented an individual mandate in the wake of Congress zeroing out the federal ACA penalty for individuals who Read More
How Serious are Penalties under the ACA? Very.
2 minute read: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the single most important piece of health care legislation in generations. One major reason for the ACA’s significant impact on the Read More
Protect App-Based Drivers Act Would Create Further Employee Classification and ACA Reporting Issues
3 minute read: As part of their campaign against the requirements of California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which went into effect January 2020 and requires employers to treat contract workers Read More
Proposed IRS Regs Will Not Affect How Individuals Receive PTCs
2 minute read: The IRS recently issued proposed regulations on how the personal tax exemption reduction to “0” will affect qualifications for recipients of Premium Tax Credits (PTCs). Regulation 124810-19, Read More
AB5 Targets Multi-Level Marketing Companies – See How this Could Affect Your ACA Compliance
3 minute read: Multi-level marketing giant Amway was sued in a proposed class action earlier this year for misclassifying its Independent Business Owners (IBOs) as independent contractors instead of employees. Read More
ACA’s Expansion of Medicaid Key Player for Providing Health Coverage Amid COVID-19
2 minute read: By now it’s become abundantly clear how important it is for individuals to have health coverage. COVID-19 or not, healthcare is saving lives and the ACA has Read More
Emergency Paid Sick Leave and the ACA
3 minute read: If you are a U.S. business, there is a good chance that one or more of your employees have taken emergency paid sick leave. Such leaves may Read More
Why CMS’s 2021 Payment Notice May Lead to More PTC Allocations
2 minute read: Back in March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2021 (2021 Payment Notice). The rule includes Read More
New IRS Notice May Provide Relief and ACA Exposure
2 minute read: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has instituted a number of important adjustments to employee benefits plan compliance rules. Recently, the Read More
Employers May See More ACA Penalties As a Result of COVID-19
2 minute read: A new data analysis report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) finds the vast majority of Americans who lost their job amid COVID-19will be eligible for government Read More
Uber and Lyft sued by California for Misclassifying Gig Workers. How Misclassification can Impact ACA Compliance
3 minute read: Gig Economy giants Uber and Lyft are being sued by the state of California for allegedly failing to meet the requirements of California Assembly Bill 5 (AB Read More
