Employers and Coverage Providers: 11 Facts About Health Care Information Forms

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies, self-insured companies, and large businesses and businesses that provide health insurance to their employees must submit information returns to the IRS and individuals reporting on health coverage.

Taxpayers can use the information on these forms when they file their tax returns to verify the months that they had minimum essential coverage and determine if they satisfied the individual shared responsibility provision of the health care law. The IRS will use the information on the statements to verify the months of the individual’s coverage.

Here is some information about the types of forms, the purpose of each, and noteworthy dates

Form 1095-C, Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage

•  This form is filed by applicable large employers, which generally are employers with 50 or more full-time employees, including full-time equivalents. • ALEs send this form to certain employees, with information about what coverage the employer offered.
• Employers that offer health coverage referred to as “self-insured coverage” send this form to individuals they cover, with information about who was covered and when.
• This form is submitted to the IRS with Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns.
• The deadline for filing this form with the IRS is February 28, 2017, or March 31, 2017 if filing electronically.
• The deadline for furnishing this form to the employee is March 2, 2017, which is a 30-day extension from the original due date of January 31.

Form 1095-B, Health Coverage Information Return

• This form is filed by providers of minimum essential coverage, including employers that are not applicable large employers, but who offer employer-sponsored self-insured health coverage.
• It is used to report information to covered individuals about each person enrolled in coverage – this form is sent to the person identified as the responsible individual on the form.
• This form is submitted to the IRS with Form 1094-B, Transmittal of Health Coverage Information Returns.
• The deadline for filing this form with the IRS is February 28, 2017, or March 31, 2017 if filing electronically.
• The deadline for furnishing this form to the covered individual is March 2, 2017, which is a 30-day extension from the original due date of January 31.