ACA Healthcare Coverage Exemptions

Let’s flip the script for a post and talk about the individuals who are now, according to the ACA, responsible for obtaining health insurance that meets minimum essential coverage (MEC). If you’re a full-time employee with an ACA-compliant company, you shouldn’t have to worry too much since the coverage your employer offers will meet this criteria.

If you’re one of the many Americans who hasn’t received an offer of coverage from your employer, it’s likely they weren’t required to make an offer to you, and you’re therefore responsible for seeking out and purchasing a plan of your own. This can be done through a Marketplace, the private insurance sector, and through governmental programs. If you don’t obtain adequate coverage, you may be required to make an individual shared responsibility payment.

You may be able to get out of this payment if you qualify for an exemption from the requirement to have coverage. Generally, you apply for this exemption if, throughout the year:

• you didn’t have access to affordable coverage,
• you only went without coverage during a one-time gap of less than three consecutive months, or
• you qualify for one of any of these exemptions, including a hardship exemption.

There are certain exemptions that can only be granted by the Marketplace (and are claimed on Form 8965), while others can only be granted on your tax return. A select few exemptions can be applied for through either means, so it’s important to research the exemption for which you may be eligible.

Applicable Large Employers, CPAs, and any other ACA filers who still need to transmit their 1094 and 1095 forms to the IRS by the June 30th deadline can do so quickly and easily with ExpressIRSForms! Create an account to get started, and if you have any questions, give our customer support center a call at (704) 684-4751 or send us an email to support@ExpressIRSForms.com.

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What's So Important About Line 14 on Form 1095-C?

Understandably, Line 14 on Form 1095-C is causing hesitation for many filers. Just look at it:

What, so now you’ve got to come up with a code for each month the recipient was covered? Close: the IRS has already come up with the code (1A through 1I), you just need to enter the appropriate one for the recipient listed either in the “All 12 Months” box (if the code’s the same all year) or in each applicable month.

Offer of Coverage
So just what are you reporting with these codes? Well, Form 1095-C Line 14 indicates to the IRS what coverage was offered to the person for whom you’re filing the Form 1095-C. The code you use will tell the IRS if the coverage you offered met the ACA-required minimum essential coverage (MEC) and minimum value (MV) regulations, as well as if coverage was offered to the spouse and dependent(s) of the employee. Additionally, there’s a code to use in the event coverage wasn’t offered or if the employee only worked part-time.

ACA Line 14 Code Series 1

• 1A. Qualifying Offer: MEC providing MV offered to FTE; employee premium less than or equal to the 9.5% mainland single federal poverty line; MEC offered to spouse and dependent(s)
• 1B: MEC providing MV offered to FTE only
• 1C: MEC providing MV offered to FTE; MEC offered to dependent(s)
• 1D: MEC providing MV offered to FTE; MEC offered to spouse
• 1E: MEC providing MV offered to FTE; MEC offered to dependent(s) and spouse
• 1F: MEC not providing MV offered to FTE, dependent(s), or spouse
• 1G: Offer of coverage made to non-FTE who enrolled in self-insured coverage
• 1H: No offer of coverage made
• 1I: Offer made (or lack thereof) falls under Qualifying Offer Transition Relief for 2015

At ExpressIRSForms, we help make sure you have the right codes in the right places as you navigate these new ACA forms. Just create an account to get started e-filing your 1095s one of the easiest ways possible! And if you have any questions on the way, we’ll be happy to help. Just give us a call Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT, at (704) 684-4751. If you miss us, send us an email to support@ExpressIRSForms.com, and we’ll reply as soon as possible!



Looking for something a little less hands on? Check out our full-service e-filing program for Forms 1094 and 1095, ExpressACAForms!

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ExpressIRSForms Presents: A Visit From Ace

As the World’s First E-Filing Superhero, Ace has an important and difficult task on his hands: it is his job to inform the world (well, the United States) of the IRS’s new Affordable Care Act forms and how to e-file them through his favorite website, www.expressacaforms.com (he’s not on the internet that much). But how could Ace inform all the taxpayers of America AND protect them from his arch-nemesis Confusion unless he expanded his reach beyond the city in which he became the greatest superhero ever? (His words.)

While Ace might have a heart of gold, his brain is more a shade of pyrite (with the exception of his ACA knowledge, of course). This is why, getting lost in translation, Ace bypassed the Land of IRS Forms and came instead to the site of ExpressIRSForms.

Once in the “land” of ExpressIRSForms, Ace went about his business of fighting off Confusion wherever she reared her disorienting head. He split up fights over whether the ACA or Obamacare was better and went from taxpayer to taxpayer, telling them the information they needed for the new forms. He even made a public service announcement to try to eliminate Confusion on a larger scale, but now he’s not so sure he had the broadcast set up correctly.

Using his detective-level sleuthing skills, Ace was able to find a way to get in touch with the ExpressIRSForms “government” and tell them all the things he needed to make sure their taxpayers knew before filing for the 2015 year.

After going into further detail about each form, 1095-B and 1095-C, Ace considered his job done and left the ExpressIRSForms office rather abruptly. As he left, however, he did have one final message for the taxpayers:

So if you find yourself bogged down by Confusion’s influence while e-filing, give one of Ace’s “sidekicks” a call here at ExpressIRSForms. We’re available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST for phone (704-839-2270) and live chat support. We’re also here 24/7 to help out via email at support@expressirsforms.com.

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