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

Written by Dan Gordon | Posted in Affordable Healthcare Act

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.

• Grandfathered health plans – plans that were in existence on March 23, 2010 and haven’t been changed in ways that substantially cut benefits or increase costs for consumers – for more information, visit HealthCare.gov

Government-sponsored programs

• Medicare Part A

• Medicaid, except for certain programs

• The Children’s Health Insurance Program, better known as CHIP

• Coverage under the TRICARE program, except for certain programs

• Coverage consisting of the medical benefits package for eligible veterans

• Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs

• Comprehensive health care for children suffering from spina bifida who are the children of Vietnam veterans and veterans of covered service in Korea

• A health plan for Peace Corps volunteers

• The Non-appropriated Fund Health Benefits Program of the Department of Defense

Employer-sponsored plans – coverage that you have through your employer, including:

• A plan or coverage offered in the small or large group market within a state

• A self-insured group health plan for employees

• The Non-appropriated Fund Health Benefits Program of the Department of Defense

• A governmental plan, such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program

• COBRA coverage

• Retiree coverage

Other coverage designated by the Department of Health and Human Services

• Coverage under Medicare Part C – Medicare Advantage

• Refugee Medical Assistance

• Employer coverage provided to business owners who are not employees

• Coverage under a group health plan provided through insurance regulated by a foreign government if it meets certain requirements

Minimum essential coverage does not include coverage that may provide limited benefits.

(Re-Post from IRS Tax Tips)

Dan Gordon

Dan has been preparing tax return for US Taxpayers and Expatriates since 1998 beginning with US military and Embassy mission personnel in Bangkok, Thailand. He has always loved math and took business accounting at City U. in Seattle Washington. Dan worked at Clint Gordon & Associates (Accredited Tax Consultant) were he gained his foundational knowledge of the US taxing system.

Dan has been studying tax preparation and tax law ever since increasing his skill and knowledge of the tax preparation business accordingly, Dan is known in many circles around the globe as an Expatriate Tax Expert. His book entitled “The Complete US Expat Tax Book” has recently been published and is available on Kindle, Amazon and booksellers around the world.

Thru the years, Dan has fought many battles with the Internal Revenue Service as well as various state taxing departments with great success in helping lower and or eliminate his clients tax debts.

Dan Gordon and his staff enjoy the work they do from the simplest 1040EZ to the most complex corporations, with the goal that no client should pay more tax than legally required.