President Trump Ends ACA Subsidies On the evening of October 12, 2017, President Trump announced that subsidies for low-income Americans in relation to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be stopped. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has confirmed that payments will be stopped immediately. It is anticipated at least […]
Read moreTag: MEC
Compliance Recap // August 2016
August remained relatively quiet in the employee benefits world, with only new draft versions of the instructions for Forms 1095-C, 1095-C, 1094-B and 1095-B. The new draft versions of the specific forms were released in July. The IRS also released the annual contribution limits for health savings accounts (HSAs) and the deductible minimums and out-of-pocket […]
Read moreReporting Minimum Essential Coverage
Minimum essential coverage (MEC) is the type of coverage that an individual must have under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Employers that are subject to the ACA’s shared responsibility provisions (often called “play or pay”) must offer MEC coverage that is affordable and provides minimum value. In the fall of 2015 the […]
Read moreCompliance Recap // June 2016
June was another quiet month for federal agencies in relation to employee benefits. A tri-agency proposed rule regarding expatriate health plans, excepted benefits, and essential health benefits was released. UBA Updates UBA’s Human Resources department released a checklist and advisor on new OSHA requirements: OSHA Reporting Changes: Employer Checklist OSHA’s Final Rule on Electronic Tracking […]
Read moreIRS Notice 2015-87: HRAs, Affordability, and More
IRS Notice 2015-87: HRAs, Affordability, and More On December 16, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other federal agencies released IRS Notice 2015-87, which is a “potpourri” update that covers many different topics relating to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), including some relating to market reforms. The Notice generally covers health […]
Read moreReminder – 2016 ACA Reporting Requirements
Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) (Section 6055) and Large Employer (Section 6056) reporting are required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) administer compliance with the individual and employer mandates. The insurance carrier is responsible for MEC reporting on individuals covered under fully insured health plans. Employer clients are responsible for […]
Read moreIRS Notice on Minimum Essential Coverage Reporting
Minimum essential coverage or “MEC” is the type of coverage that an individual must have under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Employers that are subject to the ACA’s shared responsibility provisions (often called play or pay) must offer MEC coverage that is affordable and provides minimum value. The IRS has issued Notice […]
Read moreIRS Proposes Minimum Value Rule Change to Mesh IRS and HHS Rules
Beginning in 2015, under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), large employers must offer affordable, minimum value coverage to their full-time employees or potentially pay a penalty. Some companies have or had been marketing a plan that they state satisfies the minimum value requirement (an actuarial value of 60 percent), based upon a […]
Read more6055 Reporting, HRAs, and “Supplemental Coverage”
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) implemented section 6055 of the Internal Revenue Code, which requires IRS reporting from any entity that provides “minimum essential coverage” (MEC) to individuals. Employers who are applicable large employers (ALEs) have related reporting obligations under section 6056. Beginning in 2013, during the proposed rulemaking stage, the government was clear that […]
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