At the end of June 2015 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that they had boosted the reimbursement for high cost health care claims to health insurance companies participating in the ACA reinsurance program from 80% to 100% for 2014. The increase in coverage resulted from fewer requests for coverage of high […]
Posts related to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and potential changes to the rules, primarily in California.
Uniting the States with ACA and Gay Marriage Decisions
Two Supreme Court opinions involving the Affordable Care Act and gay marriage have the net effect of uniting the states to act as one country. The tenth amendment to the constitution gives a fair amount of power to the states to enact laws that can directly conflict or undermine national policy set by the federal […]
IRS Publication 974, comprehensive ACA premium tax credit guidance
Publication 974, released by the IRS in March 2015, is a fairly comprehensive review of the ACA health insurance premium tax credit rules. Its release is long overdue as many Americans have struggled to understand how the Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC) afforded by the ACA interact with their federal taxes. Publication 974 addresses many different […]
Should you sell assets to avoid Medicaid and get ACA tax credits?
Numerous individuals with income below the ACA threshold to receive tax credits must weigh the consequences of selling assets in order to be eligible for the tax credits to purchase a private plan through a Marketplace exchange like Covered California. The prospect of selling retirement assets early in order to qualify for affordable health […]
ACA prompts depression, thoughts of suicide for frustrated individuals
The Affordable Care Act has helped provide health insurance to millions of America’s citizens and residents. The accompanying bureaucracy has also created mental health meltdowns for thousands of individuals and families. Through a series of website glitches, bureaucratic rules and purposely designed narrow provider networks, the ACA is delivering unparalleled amounts of stress, anxiety, and for […]
Adjusting Covered California’s monthly tax credits
Most people are under the impression that if they purchase health insurance through a Marketplace exchange such as Covered California they have to accept all the monthly tax credit offered. Individuals and families don’t have to have any of the tax credit applied to their monthly health insurance premium. Covered California has introduced a new link on consumer’s […]
Covered California sours liberals on health care reform
It was in February 2013 that I wrote a glowing post about the imminent launch of the Covered California website. Thousands of individuals and families across California were full of hope and optimism as Covered California looked to be on track to fulfill the long awaited promise of access to health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. Two […]
How is the 1095-A monthly ACA tax credit calculated?
The 1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement doesn’t give a clue on how the Monthly Advance Payment of Premium Tax Credit is calculated. Even though consumers who purchased health insurance through the Marketplace entered their Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) into the enrollment system, this income in not listed on the 1095-A they receive. The MAGI […]
The silver lining for repaying excess ACA tax credits
One of the common complaints during tax season for individuals and families who are set to receive a federal refund is that the government got to use their money for a year before refunding it to them. Now, households who have to repay excess ACA tax credits find themselves in the situation where they got to use a […]
IRS penalty relief related to ACA tax credits
The IRS has issued additional guidance on ACA Advanced Premium Tax Credits and relief from certain penalties associated with the taxpayer receiving excess tax credits from a health insurance Marketplace. IRS Notice 2015-9 Penalty Relief Related to Advance Payments of the Premium Tax Credit for 2014 outlines how some taxpayers may not be subject to the penalties […]