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 …
Regulations
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ACA Penalties
These Industries are Most at Risk for ACA Penalties From the IRS
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe home healthcare, staffing, restaurant, and construction industries are under fire from the IRS for failing to comply with the ACA. Organizations within these industries have been shocked to receive …
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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 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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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActLegislation
Calculating FT and FTE Employees [UPDATED]
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs 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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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care Act
The Triangle of Trust Is Critical for ACA Compliance [UPDATE]
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: Creating the optimal alignment of data, regulatory expertise and software is critical in achieving ACA compliance. We call this principle the Triangle of TrustSM. This principle has …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Trump Tries to Change the ACA, But Not The Employer Mandate [UPDATE]
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: President Trump announced his intent to make administrative changes to the Affordable Care Act in 2017 as part of this executive order, “Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition …
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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care Act
ACA Compliance Still Confusing to Employers
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen5 minute read: Employers are still confused with how to comply with the Affordable Care Act, and continue to hide their heads in the sand about the real risk of …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
Is Maryland the Next State to Approve an Individual Mandate?
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: Maryland is getting closer to a state-wide version of an individual mandate that will encourage state residents to purchase health insurance. A bill in the Maryland legislature, …
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ACA ComplianceHealth Care Coverage
California Carries the Torch for State-Based Individual Mandates
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: California Governor Gavin Newsom has not wasted time wading into the healthcare debate. The governor has proposed an individual mandate requiring all California residents to obtain health …
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5 minute read: Human Resources staff have a difficult job. They help keep their organizations running smoothly by ensuring, to the greatest degree possible, that the employer is in compliance …
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Affordable Care ActIRS 226J/226-J
IRS Letter 226J for 2016 “In the Mail”
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: It’s confirmed. The IRS will begin issuing Letter 226J for the 2016 tax year in the next few weeks. IRS staff has indicated that the penalty notices …
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Affordable Care Act
What to Measure, Track and Record Under the ACA [UPDATE]
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen7 minute read: It’s always interesting to look back and see how regulation develops. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is no exception. I wrote a five-part series about the ACA …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
The Affordable Care Act, and Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore It [UPDATE]
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen5 minute read: It’s always interesting to look back and see how the contours of a law changes in time. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is no exception. I wrote …
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Affordable Care Act
ACA Funding Freeze Won’t Impact the ACA’s Employer Mandate
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: The Trump administration has said it would temporarily freeze funding for the “risk adjustment” program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because of conflicting court rulings, but …
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Affordable Care Act
The ACA’s Annual PCORI Fees Due to IRS at the End of July
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: The annual PCORI fees are due at the end of the month from health insurers and plan sponsors offering self-funded health insurance plans. On July 31, these …
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ACA Compliance
Association Health Plans Don’t Help Larger Employers with ACA Compliance
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: The Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate has been in effect for the past three years and IRS enforcement of the healthcare law has begun. At the same …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageMedicaid
Medicaid Expansion Supports ACA Popularity
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: It’s not a mystery that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is complex. Since its passage in 2010, the landscape of the healthcare industry and marketplace has changed …
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Affordable Care ActTIGTA
Latest TIGTA Report: ACA Penalties to Continue
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen4 minute read: The report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration always has some interesting information. The recently issued report on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from March …
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Affordable Care Act
Feds Confirm Their Own ACA Emergency Care Cost Guidelines
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen4 minute read: It comes as no surprise that many organizations have had difficulty keeping up with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Whether complying with the regulations under the employer …
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IRSRegulationsTax Filings
The IRS Wants More Employers to Use Electronic Filing
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen2 minute read: The IRS is proposing regulations that would expand mandatory electronic filings for most employers by aggregating the number of total information returns they submit to the federal …
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Affordable Care Act
ACA Backlash: Two States Create Their Own Individual Mandates
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen3 minute read: The Trump Administration effectively repealed the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate when it made the penalties for an individual not obtaining healthcare $0 beginning 2019. What seemed …
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ACA ReportingAffordable Care ActIRS
ACA Employer Mandate Poses IRS and U.S. GAAP Complications
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen4 minute read: Originally published on April 18,2018, in Accounting Today. In most organizations, the task of ensuring compliance with the Affordable Care Act lies with the Human Resources team. …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
ACA Complexity to Grow as States Develop Their Own Healthcare Solutions [UPDATE]
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen5 minute read: The many false starts of the Republican-led effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA), along with the Trump administration’s continued efforts to undermine the healthcare law, …
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Affordable Care Act
Organizations Ignoring the ACA are at Financial Risk
by Robert Sheenby Robert Sheen5 minute read: It’s hard to believe, but many organizations continue to be in denial about their need to comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Time and time again …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
IRS, CMS, EBSA Seek Public Comment on ACA Change
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are seeking public comments on proposed regulations that would change the definition of …
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Affordable Care ActIRS
ACA Employer Mandate Poses IRS and US GAAP Complications
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenYou would think it would go without saying, but let’s say it. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its employer mandate have tax and financial implications. And that means it’s …
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Affordable Care ActDepartment of Labor (DOL)
DOL Seeking Comments On Extending Association Health Plans
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenUnder the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers that do not meet the 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employee threshold to be Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) do not face …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageHealth Insurance Marketplace
ACA Health Insurance Marketplace May Stabilize In 2018
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt’s been a tumultuous year for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). From insurers withdrawing from providing health insurance on government exchanges to spiking premiums in the face of financial losses …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
As Congress Moves To Remove Individual Mandate, States Seek Their Own Version
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenIt was a decade ago when Massachusettsimplemented its own individual mandate that required state residents to obtain health insurance or face financial ramifications. Nationwide, that rule became the framework of …
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ACA ComplianceAffordable Care ActIRS
IRS Extension of Good Faith Relief is Good and Bad News
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAs the saying goes, I have some good news and some bad news. For the good news, the IRS has extended good faith relief for information-reporting requirements for the Affordable …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageHealth Care ReformHealth Insurance MarketplaceLegislation
Americans Don’t Want President Trump to Destroy the Affordable Care Act
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhile President Trump does his best to undermine the Affordable Care Act, the American public wants it to succeed. Americans don’t want the Affordable Care Act (ACA) destroyed. They want …
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Affordable Care ActEmployee Misclassification
GrubHub Trial Could Set Precedent for Employee Misclassification Lawsuits
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenGrubHub is on trial for a case of employee misclassification involving its drivers. The drivers allege they were misclassified by the on-demand food delivery app as independent contractors and not …
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ACA ReportingIRS
IRS Extends Voluntary Reporting Of Catastrophic Coverage
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS released Notice 2017-41 last month, informing health insurance issuers of further guidance surrounding the reporting of catastrophic plan coverage acquired through the ACA’s Health Insurance Marketplace. It’s the …
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ACA Compliance
With the Threat Of ACA-Imposed Penalties From the IRS, Employers Must Be Serious About Tracking Employee and Worker Time
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) mandate that employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees must offer health insurance coverage to their full-time employees has come with added …
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Affordable Care ActHealthcare
How Will a New Era of Healthcare Entrepreneurs Be Impacted by the ACA?
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAt some point, the gig economy was bound to expand into industries most never imagined. With the growing rate of Americans taking on some form of a job within the …
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At times, companies may feel like they are swimming in data. It’s an information overload, and a lack of organization can lead to many mistakes in consolidating, validating and analyzing …
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IRSPremium Tax Credit
The IRS Finalizes Regulations for ACA Premium Tax Credits
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS on July 24 finalized regulations for the use of premium tax credits. These are the tax credits provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help lower income …
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ACA ComplianceACA Reporting
ACA Filing Deadlines Still Loom Amid Reform Debate
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOriginally published on July 18, 2017 in “Compliance Week” As healthcare reform sputters along in Congress, companies still face filing deadlines under the Affordable Care Act, and the Internal Revenue Service …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageLawsuits
ACA Discrimination Suit Sheds Light On Transgender Child Rights
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOver the last few years, the rights of transgender workers within organizations have continued to fall under the microscope. From anti-discrimination rules surrounding hiring to adequately reporting the gender of …
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ACA Compliance
EEO-1 Reporting Complications Creates ACA Reporting Efficiencies
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenAt first glance, it’s a nice reprieve that EEO-1 reports for the 2017 tax year have been postponed. Reports were slated for a September 30, 2017 due date for all …
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ACA ComplianceIRS
IRS Still Moving Forward with ACA Compliance Enforcement for Employers
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe IRS recently issued Notice 2017-38, which revealed the results of the Treasury Department’s review of all “significant tax regulations” per President Trump’s Executive Order 13789 issued in April 2017. …
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Health Care CoverageHealth Insurance Marketplace
Deadline Nearing to Provide HHS Comments On How To Improve Health Insurance Markets
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhile Congress has been discussing new directions for healthcare reform from the Affordable Care Act, President Trump has been talking about the death of that current healthcare law. However, as …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Reform
Complexities Await Should ACA Be Amended Prior To Repeal
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOn June 26, President Trump tweeted, “Republican Senators are working very hard to get there, with no help from the Democrats. Not easy! Perhaps just let OCare crash & burn!” …
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Health Care CoverageHealth Care Reform
Two New Health Care Tax Bills Approved Pending AHCA Passing
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThere was a time in the early stages of the ACA repeal where the Trump Administration shrugged off any ACA-mandated taxes going forward. The growing concern was that a repeal …
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Affordable Care ActAmerican Health Care Act (AHCA)
Featured Press: 3 Issues For Business As The U.S. Senate Tackles Trumpcare
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenOp-Ed originally published in The Business Journals. After some false starts, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives finally passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), as amended, the first step …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care Coverage
New Bill Allows Non-Exchange Health Plan Purchases With ACA Credits
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenWhen Senate Republicans proposed the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a major point of focus was the elimination of ACA-mandated taxes, including the Employer and Individual …
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Affordable Care ActLegislation
McCarran-Ferguson Antitrust Exemption Is Eliminated After 70 Years
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenThe Affordable Care Act may be here to stay, but changes to antitrust laws may affect how the healthcare insurance industry does business. The House of Representatives approved legislation that …
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Affordable Care ActRegulations
New HHS Website Shows Regulations Geared Toward Bettering The ACA
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenPrior to the dismantling of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched a new website identifying aspects of the Affordable Care Act …
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Affordable Care ActHealth Care CoverageRegulations
Uber Is Triumphant In California Misclassification Case
by Robert Sheenby Robert SheenUber made a huge stride in their favor at the top of March, when a California courtnamed them victorious in yet another misclassification case. The case surrounded once again classifications …