Final Forms and Instructions for ACA Information Reporting Released

Nick J. Welle • October 6, 2015

The IRS recently released the final forms and instructions for information reporting under the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”).  The final forms and instructions will be used for reporting in 2016 concerning 2015 coverage.  The final forms and instructions can be accessed below.

The final forms do not contain any significant changes from the prior draft versions.  Both sets of final instructions also remain largely unchanged, but they contain a few important modifications with respect to reporting specific types of coverage.  For example, the final instructions modified the rules for reporting multiemployer plan coverage, COBRA coverage, and HRA coverage.

For more information concerning these forms and employers’ ACA information reporting responsibilities, please review my October 24, 2014 SW Benefits Update, “ Section 6055 Reporting of Health Plan ‘Minimum Essential Coverage’ for Small and Large Employers ,” and my October 28, 2014 SW Benefits Update, “ Section 6056 Reporting of Health Coverage Information for Large Employers.”

Employee burnout: what it is and how to prevent it

By Mardy Gould • May 24, 2024
Employee burnout has become an epidemic in today’s modern workplace. So much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) officially recognizes it as an “occupational phenomenon.”1 While many used to consider mounting workplace stress an individual employee problem, these days, it’s become an employer’s responsibility to prevent burnout before it hurts productivity and business performance—not to mention your employees’ physical and mental health. Luckily, you can prevent burnout from affecting your workforce in several ways. This article will explore the causes and signs of employee burnout and the steps you can take to create a positive work environment where employees feel safe from toxic stress levels.

Form 720 and PCORI fee FAQs

By Mardy Gould • May 23, 2024
If you're a small business owner, you may have heard of the acronym PCORI and the fees that come with it. But what is PCORI, and how does it apply to your organization? Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), sponsors of self-insured health plans must pay a fee to fund the federal Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). PCORI is an independent organization the ACA created to conduct research to help healthcare consumers make better decisions for their specific needs and outcomes. It also performs research related to clinical effectiveness. Employers offering a self-insured medical reimbursement health plan, such as a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), must pay this fee by July 31 each year via Form 7201. This fee was initially set to expire in 2019, but Congress extended it through September 30, 20292, due to the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 20203.
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