*UPDATE: IRS Deadline for 1095-C Extended – See below for details! (Full IRS Announcement) 

Passed in 2010, the Affordable Care Act has managed to dodge several repeal attempts and is still an incredibly important regulation for employers to monitor. Each year presents new challenges for employers and annual legislation changes can be difficult to interpret and even harder to track.

And that’s why we’re here.

We’ve got the scoop on all of the important deadlines and changes that you need to know for 2019 ACA reporting.

For a deep dive into ACA regulations and reporting, check out our full 2019 ACA Guide or view our ACA Compliance Webinar.

This quick overview will inform you of the important ACA-related dates and deadlines for the upcoming year, define changes for 2019, explore penalties for non-compliance and introduce several solutions to make ACA easy.

Let’s get started!

ACA 2019 Dates & Deadlines

February 28, 2019: Paper filing with IRS*

April 1, 2019: eFiling with IRS

March 4, 2019 (NEW Deadline): 1095-C forms delivered to employees

*Paper filing only permitted for filing under 250 forms.

Though 2017 and 2018 offered few, if any, updates to ACA rules and regulations, there are several changes slated for 2019.

The biggest change for 2019 will not directly impact employers – yet. A new tax bill passed in December 2017 that repealed the individual coverage mandate. Effective January 1, 2019, individuals are not required to have health insurance and will not be fined for not maintaining coverage. However, the new bill did nothing to repeal or update the ACA mandate for employers (50+ full-time employees) to provide insurance to employees.

Employers are still required to offer health care coverage to employees in 2019.

One change that will impact employers in 2019* is the percentage of an employee’s income that an employee’s health care contribution must not exceed. Previously, this number was 9.56%, meaning the cost of employer-provided health care must not exceed 9.56% of an employees income. In 2019, that amount will be increased slightly to 9.85%. This amount will determine whether your health care is considered “affordable”, an important requirement for ACA compliance.

*Note: While this change will go into effect in 2019, it will not impact employer reporting until submissions in 2020.

ACA 2019 Required Forms

There are several specific forms that need to be completed and submit to meet ACA compliance. Keep in mind that solutions exist to expedite this process – more on that later.

1094-C

This form provides information to the IRS about the employer/FEIN the associated 1095-C forms are filed under. Think of the 1094-C as a cover sheet for the 1095-C forms that accompany it to the IRS.

Important 1094-C form details to note include:

• Number of full-time and total number of employees by month

• Whether minimum essential coverage was offered to at least 95% of your applicable employees by month

• Whether a 4980H safe harbor was used each month

• IRS must receive this form by February 28, 2019, if you file manually, or March 31, 2019, if you file electronically

1095-C

This form serves as a ‘proof of insurance’ sheet that must be provided to each employee that is eligible to receive health insurance under the ACA definition of an eligible employee and any individual that enrolled in a self-funded medical plan. This form provides information about the coverage offered to employees, the lowest-cost premium available to employees and the months of the year when the coverage was available. This form is also reported to the IRS.

Important 1095-C form details to note include:

• The employee’s share of the lowest cost monthly premium
• Whether a 4980H safe harbor was used each month
• Any self-insured covered individuals
• Employees must receive their copy by March 4, 2019*

*New date per IRS extension

ACA 2019 Penalties

Failure to comply with ACA deadlines and requirements could result in steep fines. Here’s what you need to know about ACA penalties.

Penalty A

Penalty A applies to employers that are subject to the employer mandate but fail to meet the health care coverage requirements. Organizations must provide minimum eligible coverage (MEC) to at least 95% of full-time employees. Failure to comply will result in a fine of $2,320 per each full-time employee (excluding the first 30) that do not receive coverage. The fine is calculated monthly but paid annually.

Penalty B

Penalty B ensures that the health plans being offered to employees meet ACA requirements for being ‘affordable’ and offering ‘minimum value’. Organizations that do not meet the outlined requirements will be fined $3,480 per employee receiving a subsidy OR $2,320 per full-time employee (minus the first 30). The lesser of the two fines will be applied.

 ACA Solutions

Investing in an ACA solution will not only save your HR team valuable time but also ensure accuracy across all forms and reporting.

ACA is complicated, with several intricate reporting requirements and hard deadlines that must be met to avoid fines. A good ACA tech solution will integrate with multiple HR data streams, resolve any data discrepancies or errors and compile all of the necessary information into a single source.

By unifying all of your data into one place and automating your ACA reporting, you will save countless hours of manual work and guarantee that your employee data is 100% accurate and formatted in an IRS-friendly manner for effortless submission.

Learn More About PlanSource ACA Solutions

ACA made easy! Contact us below for a no-strings-attached consultation to see how our solutions can keep you happily compliant.