The IRS recently released final versions of the 2020 Affordable Care Act (ACA) forms, which include 1094-C and 1095-C. What should employers know about this important component of healthcare compliance reporting?
New 2020 ACA Forms Issued by IRS
The IRS issued final versions for four 2020 ACA forms, including Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C. The forms can be accessed using the following links:
The IRS also released full instructions for Forms 1094-C and 1095-C for employers and HR teams, as well as instructions for Forms 1094-B and 1095-B.
Updates for 2020 Versions
A few key updates were made to Form 1095-C. Now, several new codes (1L through 1S) are included to describe the affordability of coverage that an employer offers to employees, their spouses, and their dependents. This specifically applies to costs associated with individual coverage HRAs—otherwise known as ICHRAs.
Other changes to ACA forms include:
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Plan Start Month: All Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) must enter a two-digit code on 2020 Form 1095-C.
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Age and ZIP Code Inclusion: Employees must submit their age as of Jan. 1 and their ZIP Code must be included on the form.
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Relief for Failure to Furnish: The IRS won\’t impose a penalty on employers that fail to furnish Form 1095-C to any employee enrolled in an ALE\’s self-insured health plan. This applies to employees who are not full-time workers for any month in 2020 (assuming certain conditions are met).
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Extension of Good Faith Relief for Reporting and Furnishing: The IRS won\’t impose penalties for reporting incorrect or incomplete information on Form 1095-C if a good-faith effort is made to comply with reporting requirements.
Meanwhile, the following changes apply to Forms 1094-B and 1095-B:
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ICHRA: Employers may offer HRAs integrated with individual health insurance coverage or Medicare for plan years beginning on Jan. 1, 2020.
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New Coverage Code Type: Code G must be entered on Form 1095-B, line 8 to identify an ICHRA.
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Relief for Failure to Furnish: The IRS won\’t impose a penalty on employers that fail to furnish Form 1095-B to individuals if certain conditions are met.
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Extension of Good Faith Relief for Reporting and Furnishing: The IRS won\’t impose penalties for reporting incorrect or incomplete information on Form 1095-B if a good-faith effort is made to comply with reporting requirements.
When Should the New 1095-C Codes Be Used?
Codes 1L through 1S are available to indicate the affordability of ICHRAs offered by employers. They should be used under the following circumstances:
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1L: If an ICHRA is offered to employees only and affordability is determined by a ZIP Code, which identifies an employee’s primary residence
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1M: If an ICHRA is offered to employees and dependent(s) (not spouse) and affordability is determined by a ZIP Code, which identifies an employee’s primary residence
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1N: If an ICHRA is offered to employees, spouses, and dependent(s) and affordability is determined by a ZIP Code, which identifies an employee’s primary residence
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1O: If an ICHRA is offered to employees and affordability safe harbor is determined by the ZIP Code of the employment site
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1P: If an ICHRA is offered to employees and dependent(s) (not spouse) and affordability safe harbor is determined by the ZIP Code of the employment site
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1Q: If an ICHRA is offered to employees, spouses, and dependent(s) (not spouse) and affordability safe harbor is determined by the ZIP Code of the employment site
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1R: If an ICHRA is not affordable and is offered to employees; employees and spouses or dependent(s), or employees, spouses, and dependents
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1S: If an ICHRA was offered to a worker who isn’t a full-time employee
What Else Should You Know?
Earlier in October 2020, the IRS also announced an extension of the furnishing deadline for Forms 1095-B and 1095-C. The distribution deadline is now March 2, 2021.
The typical 30-day extension to furnish information statements will not be granted in addition to the new deadline. With this in mind, the adjusted date does not extend the filing deadline for 2020 Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, or 1095-C, all of which must be submitted by Feb. 28, 2021, or e-filed by March 31, 2021.
Cypress Benefit Solutions has solutions for employers of all sizes when it comes to ACA reporting. Our team is available and happy to help with all things ACA.
Source: Bernie Portal
