February 13,2012

 

Agencies Release Final Regulations Regarding Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform Glossary Requirements

On February 9, 2012, the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor (DOL), and Treasury (the agencies) jointly released final regulations and a guidance document to implement a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act) that requires all group health plans and health insurance issuers to provide consumers with two new disclosure forms to assist them in understanding and comparing their health coverage options. The new disclosure forms include:

For a sample of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage please visit:

http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Files2/02102012/sample-completed-sbcfinal.pdf.pdf

 For a sample of the Uniform Glossary of common health insurance words please visit:   

http://cciio.cms.gov/resources/files/Files2/02102012/uniform-glossary-final.pdf 

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January 4, 2012

Health Care Reform: IRS Q&As on Form W-2 Reporting

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) added Internal Revenue Code (Code) section 6051(a)(14), which requires employers to report the aggregate cost of employer-sponsored group health plan coverage on their employees’ Forms W-2. This requirement was originally effective for the 2011 tax year and the W-2 Forms that would be provided in January 2012. However, the IRS later made reporting optional for 2011.

In April 2011, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2011-28, which furthered delayed the reporting requirement for small employers. This notice also contains interim guidance for employers that must include group health coverage information on the 2012 W-2 Forms and those that voluntarily choose to comply for 2011 or 2012.

For more information please visit:http://www.higginbotham.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IRS-QA-Form-W2-Reporting.pdf

 

 

January 3, 2012

 Congress Repeals 1099 Reporting Requirements

 On April 5, 2011, the Senate voted to repeal the Form 1099 tax reporting requirement that was included in last year’s health care reform law. The Senate passed the Comprehensive 1099 Taxpayer Protection and Repayment of Exchange Subsidy Overpayments Act of 2011 (H.R. 4) by a vote of 87-12, showing overwhelming support for the repeal. The House of Representatives previously passed H.R. 4 on March 4, 2011, by a vote of 112-15. The repeal measure was supported by the White House and was signed by President Obama on April 14, 2011.

The repeal of this unpopular provision is the first successful effort to roll back part of the health care reform law. Business groups opposed the requirement and its expected administrative burden, which led to both Republicans and Democrats targeting the provision for repeal.

Background

The Form 1099 tax reporting requirement was created by Section 9006 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Although not directly related to health care, it was originally designed to raise money for the health care reform plan as well as improve tax compliance.

Specifically, the mandate required businesses to file a Form 1099 for any company from which it bought more than $600 in goods or services in a single year. This requirement was scheduled to go into effect in 2012. It was anticipated to increase both paperwork and accounting costs for businesses and landlords. Repeal of this tax provision is now expected to save time, money and resources. 

Covering the Cost  

Although both parties had been trying to repeal the Form 1099 provision for several months, previous attempts were unsuccessful because Congress could not agree on how to pay for the repeal. Eliminating the Form 1099 reporting requirement is estimated to cost $22 billion in lost revenue.

Congress has agreed to make up for the shortfall by adjusting health insurance tax subsidies for middle-income individuals provided by PPACA. H.R. 4 will now require greater repayment of subsidy amounts for families whose income unexpectedly exceeds applicable thresholds. 

 

July 11, 2011

Preventive Services Covered Under The Affordable Care Act

HealthCare.gov

If you have a new health insurance plan or insurance policy beginning on or after September 23, 2010, preventive services must be covered without your having to pay a copayment or co-insurance or meet your deductible. This applies only when these services are delivered by a network provider. 

For a list of covered services please visit:  http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/provisions/services/lists.html 

 

May 4, 2011

 

Obama Signs 1099 Repeal Bill

Nahu Newswire

The AP (4/15) reports, “President Barack Obama has signed the first rollback of last year’s healthcare law, a bipartisan repeal of a burdensome tax-reporting requirement that’s widely unpopular with businesses.” 

For more information on this subject please visit :  http://www.neebco.com/NAHU04152011.pdf

 

November 19, 2010

 

IRS Waives W-2 Health Care Reporting Mandate

A key aspect of the Health care Reform Act of 2010 has been pushed back one year. Employers do not have to list on employees 2011 W2's (distributed in 2012) any contributions made to their healthcare plans. This is in response to significant feedback from the nation's employers who faced the complex task of updating payroll systems to become compliant.

To learn more about this important modification to the Health Care Reform rollout, visit the following link: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-2010-69.pdf

 

Health Care Reform for FSA's, HRA's and HSA's effective January 2011

Over the counter medications will now require a doctor's prescription in order to be an eligible expense under your FSA, HRA or HSA accounts.

Effective January 1, 2010 all over-the-counter medicines will be denied as eligible expenses if you DO NOT have a doctor's prescription!!!

For more information on this subject please visit : http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=227308,00.html

 

"Grandfathered" Health Plans Amended

In a major development, the grandfathered plan interim final regulations have been amended to permit insured group health plans to change insurance contracts or insurers without a loss of grandfather status.

The amendment will allow group health plans that have shopped for the same coverage at a lower cost maintain their grandfather status when they switch issuers. Employers offering the same level of coverage through a new issuer will remain grandfathered, as long as the new plan is in compliance with guidelines described in the original grandfather rule of June 17, 2010.

For the amendments: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-28861.htm