Archive for Affordable Healthcare Act

Was Your No-Health-Insurance Penalty A Surprise?

A tweet from an Indiana resident by the name of Benjamin Miller, including a picture of the IRS notice he received advising him that he owes $2,344 as a penalty for not having health insurance, has gone viral and ignited a firestorm.

Mr. Miller stated in his post that he didn’t buy health insurance because his premiums jumped by over $1,000 to $1,400 per month. Of course the increase in Mr. Miller’s insurance premiums were most likely due to the mandatory provisions included in the health plan that were needed to meet the minimum essential coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Mr. Miller, like many uninsured taxpayers, probably didn’t fully read the penalty provisions Read More

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Obamacare – Can Pieces Be Removed?

Presidential candidate Clinton has called for repeal one of the numerous parts of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare).  Reuters reports that on September 29, 2015, she called for repeal of the “Cadillac tax” provision that goes into effect starting in 2018 (“Clinton calls for repeal of ‘Cadillac tax’ on healthcare plans,” by John Whitesides, Reuters, 9/29/15).

A few observations on this:

• What happens when one piece of the complete healthcare reform plan is removed? The Cadillac tax raises revenue by imposing an excise tax on certain expensive plans offered to employees (see IRC Section 4980I).  Likely it also is an incentive not to offer these Read More

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Find Out If Your Health Coverage Is Qualifying Coverage Under The Health Care Law

The Affordable Care Act requires you and each member of your family to have qualifying health care coverage, qualify for an exemption from the responsibility to have minimum essential coverage, or make an individual shared responsibility payment when you file your federal income tax return. For purposes of ACA, qualifying health care coverage is also known as minimum essential coverage.

Minimum essential coverage includes:

• Health plans offered in the individual market – plans offered by a health insurance issuer licensed by a state, including a qualified health plan offered through the federally-facilitated or a state-based Health Insurance Marketplace. Read More

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It’s Time For A Mid-Year Premium Tax Credit Checkup

If you have insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you may be getting advance payments of the premium tax credit. These are paid directly to your insurance company to lower your monthly premium. Changes in your income or family size may affect your premium tax credit. If your circumstances have changed, the time is right for a mid-year checkup to see if you need to adjust the premium assistance you are receiving. You should report changes that have occurred since you signed up for your health insurance plan to your Marketplace as they occur.

Changes in circumstances that you should report to the Marketplace include:

• an increase or decrease in your income Read More

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Beware of Draconian Penalties For Health Reimbursement Plans

Beginning in 2015, large employers (those with 100 or more full-time equivalent employees) must begin offering health insurance coverage to their employees. Then, in 2016, employers with 50 or more equivalent full-time employees must do the same or face penalties, called the “large employer health coverage excise tax.”

Employers with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees are never required to offer their employees an insurance plan, but qualified small employers who do provide coverage may qualify for the small business health insurance credit.

In the past, many smaller employers have simply reimbursed their employees for the cost of insurance. They found it less expensive and had fewer administrative costs than having Read More

Written by | Posted in Affordable Healthcare Act • Individual

4 Thoughts About Supreme Court Premium Tax Credit Decision

As we all know by now, the US Supreme Court upheld the government regulations that provide that an otherwise qualified individual who obtains health insurance through the federal exchange (rather than a state exchange) is entitled to a Premium Tax Credit (PTC). This is the 6/25/15 decision in King v Burwell. I think this is the logical ruling because the Act does provide that if a state doesn’t create an exchange, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to establish one. Also, since this is the “Affordable Care” Act we are talking about, the PTC is a key part that helps make insurance affordable for many who have household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty line (more so for younger people in regions where the cost of living is not high – not for all individuals).

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Written by | Posted in Affordable Healthcare Act • Tax Tips

Changes Affecting your 2015 Premium Tax Credit

If you have enrolled for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and receive advance payments of the premium tax credit in 2015, it is important that you report changes in circumstances, such as changes in your income or family size, to your Marketplace.

Advance payments of the premium tax credit provide financial assistance to help you pay for the insurance you buy through the Marketplace. Having at least some of your credit paid in advance directly to your insurance company will reduce the out-of-pocket cost of the health insurance premiums you’ll pay each month.

However, it is important to notify the Marketplace about changes in circumstances to allow Read More

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Supreme Court, In A 6-3 Decision, Upholds Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) Subsidies

Breaking: Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, upholds Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies. The ruling allows federal tax credits to be issued to people who buy health plans through a federally run ACA exchange.

 

 

 

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Five-Year Anniversary of Healthcare Reform: 5 Things You Should Know in ’15 About the ACA

It has been five years since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the ACA) was signed into law. Healthcare reform has certainly been controversial, but this controversy does not absolve some businesses of certain responsibilities when it comes to offering minimum essential healthcare coverage to their employees.

In recognition of the five-year anniversary of healthcare reform, here are 5 things you should know about some of the key ACA requirements for businesses in 2015:

1. The shared responsibility provision of healthcare reform is effective either this year or next year, depending on how many employees you have. Also known as the employer mandate or “play or pay,” this provision requires companies with at least 50 full-time Read More

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Tax Penalty For No Insurance Ratchets Up In 2015

Article Highlights:

• Flat dollar amount penalty
• Percentage of income penalty
• Household income
• Modified adjusted gross income
• Tax filing threshold

The penalty for not having minimum essential health insurance for yourself and other members of your tax family takes a substantial jump in 2015. For 2014, the penalty was the greater of the flat dollar amount ($95 for each adult plus $47.50 for each child under Read More

Written by | Posted in Affordable Healthcare Act • Individual • IRS

IRA Contribution By April 15 May Prevent Paying Back Premium Tax Credit

The Premium Tax Credit (PTC) for individuals who purchased health insurance on the Exchange (Marketplace) is an important tax break. As income goes up, this subsidy in the form of a refundable credit decreases. Then, it hits a cliff and completely disappears if one’s household income exceeds 400% of the Federal poverty line (FPL). This can result in a tax bill of thousands of dollars!

Here is an example. A married couple, both age 64, thought their 2014 income would be about $62,000. Being eligible for insurance on the Exchange, they purchased a policy and obtained a PTC of $14,112. When they file their return, they realize they actually have $63,000 of income for 2014. this is above 400% of the FPL so they must repay all of the $14,112 PTC! If they can drop their income to $62,040 (400% of the FPL for 2014), they Read More

Written by | Posted in Affordable Healthcare Act • Individual • IRS • Retirement • Tax Policy

Your Taxes And The Affordable Care Act

Starting with this year’s filing season, taxpayers must report certain information related to health care coverage on their 2014 tax return when they file this April. In addition, taxpayers must provide proof of health insurance coverage or that they have received an exemption.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at how the Affordable Care Act might affect your tax situation, and based on your type of coverage, which new tax forms you might be receiving.

Tip: For additional information about IRS tax forms related to health care insurance, please see the article, Health Care Law: Changes to IRS Tax Forms, below.

Overview

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