New Enrollment Resources and Reminder on Health Insurance Tax Filings

New Public Policy Toolkit for Enrollment Assisters Available: Families USA published a Public Policy Toolkit for Enrollment Assisters to provide assisters with the knowledge and tactics they may need to be effective advocates on issues affecting them and their clients.

Reminder on Health Insurance and Tax Filing: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that most individuals have minimum essential coverage (MEC) or pay an individual shared responsibility penalty when filing their federal taxes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The impact of the ACA on the tax filing process depends on how and if an individual had MEC in 2015. For more information on the below forms, see this guidance from the IRS, visit the IRS ACA Tax Provisions webpage, or find a free tax preparation assistance site.

• Connect for Health Colorado customers should have received Form 1095-A outlining their MEC status and other important information required for tax filing purposes and the reconciliation of Advanced Premium Tax Credits if necessary. For more information, see Connect for Health Colorado’s 2015 Tax Information page.  
• Medicaid and CHP+ members should have received Form 1095-B as proof of MEC status for the months they were enrolled in Medicaid and/or CHP+. The form is not required for tax filing purposes, but should be retained for reference. For more information, click here and refer to the “IRS Form 1095-B: Health Coverage” section.
• Individuals who received employer-sponsored coverage will receive Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C as proof of MEC. The forms are not required for tax filing purposes, but should be retained for reference.
• Individuals who remained uninsured may need to pay the penalty or qualify for an exemption. To learn more about who is required to have MEC see this infographic from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). To estimate the amount of the penalty, see this Tax Penalty Calculator.