Connect for Health Colorado Providing 1095-A Tax Forms to Customers

Connect for Health Colorado Providing 1095-A Tax Forms to Customers

Connect for Health Colorado is sending all customers enrolled in the Individual Marketplace in 2016 their Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, or Form 1095-A, to help them complete their federal income tax filings; Form 1095-A is specifically used to complete Form 8962.

Form 1095-A, which is being sent this week through the mail and being posted to clients’ Connect for Health Colorado accounts, includes information about what they paid for health insurance, what, if any, tax credit they received, and the information that was used to determine the amount of their tax credit. The mailing will be completed by Jan. 31, 2017.

In addition to Form 1095-A, some Coloradans will receive Form 1095-B if they or a family member received Medicaid, Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), or other public health coverage benefits for any part of the year. Employees with health coverage through their employers will receive Form 1095-B or 1095-C.

FAQ: Form 1095-A

What is a Form 1095-A?
It is a tax form that includes:

• Information about anyone in the household who enrolled in a health plan through the Marketplace for 2016.
• How much was paid in monthly premiums to the health and/or dental plan.
• Information about a “benchmark” premium used to compute the premium tax credit.
• The amount of any advance payments of the premium tax credit that were paid to the health or dental plan on the customer’s behalf for 2016 — these payments would have lowered what customers paid for their monthly premiums if they elected to receive them in advance, as many people did.

Who gets it?
Customers that enrolled in health insurance for 2016 through Connect for Health Colorado will receive a Form 1095-A. They will get a Form 1095-A even if they did not receive a tax credit and even if they had Marketplace coverage for only part of 2016. The information is also provided to the IRS by Connect for Health Colorado.

When will customers get it?
Customers will receive it in the mail as early as this week. At the same time, a copy will be placed in the My Documents section of the customers Connect for Health Colorado account that can be downloaded and printed.

What if customers get more than one 1095-A?

• Customers may get more than one Form 1095-A if anyone in the household switched plans in 2016.
• It also might happen if a customer had more than one policy covering people in the household during 2016.
• Customers may get more than one Form 1095-A if there are more than 5 covered individuals in the household.

What does the customer do with it?
When the customer gets the Form 1095-A, they should make sure the information matches their records. A customer should check things like the start and end dates of the coverage and the number of covered people in the household. If a customer thinks information on the Form 1095-A is incorrect, call 1-855-PLANS-4-YOU (855-752-6749) to find out if a corrected form is needed.

The customer will use information from the Form 1095-A  to complete Form 8962, which will be filed with their tax return to report any advanced premium tax credits received or to claim premium tax credits. The customer keeps the Form 1095-A for their records. They can get Form 8962 from the IRS or a tax preparer.

What if a customer has more questions?
If a customer has questions about Form 1095-A, or how  health insurance coverage affects their taxes, they can call Connect for Health Colorado at 1-855-PLANS-4-YOU (1-855-752-6749). If a customer has questions on how to complete their taxes, they can call a local tax preparer or the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. or visit www.irs.gov/uac/Affordable-Care-Act-Tax-Provisions-Home.  Additional information will accompany Form 1095-A when it is mailed to the customer. It’s important for customers to wait for their 1095-A to arrive before they file taxes and to check the information carefully.

More information can be found on the Connect for Health Colorado 2016 Tax Information webpage.

Repealing the ACA without a Replacement -The Risks to American Care

Health care policy often shifts when the country’s leadership changes. That was true when I took office, and it will likely be true with President-elect Donald Trump. I am proud that my administration’s work, through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and other policies, helped millions more Americans know the security of health care in a system that is more effective and efficient. At the same time, there is more work to do to ensure that all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care. What the past 8 years have taught us is that health care reform requires an evidence-based, careful approach, driven by what is best for the American people. That is why Republicans’ plan to repeal the ACA with no plan to replace and improve it is so reckless. Rather than jeopardize financial security and access to care for tens of millions of Americans, policymakers should develop a plan to build on what works before they unravel what is in place.

Thanks to the ACA, a larger share of Americans have health insurance than ever before.1Increased coverage is translating into improved access to medical care — as well as greater financial security and better health. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Americans still get their health care through sources that predate the law, such as a job or Medicare, and are benefiting from improved consumer protections, such as free preventive services.

We have also made progress in how we pay for health care, including rewarding providers who deliver high-quality care rather than just a high quantity of care. These and other reforms in the ACA have helped slow health care cost growth to a fraction of historical rates while improving quality for patients. This includes better-quality and lower-cost care for tens of millions of seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. And these benefits will grow in the years to come.

That being said, I am the first to say we can make improvements. Informed by the lessons we’ve learned during my presidency, I have put forward ideas in my budgets and a July 2016 article2 to address ongoing challenges — such as a lack of choice in some health insurance markets, premiums that remain unaffordable for some families, and high prescription-drug costs. For example, allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices could both reduce seniors’ spending and give private payers greater leverage. And I have always welcomed others’ ideas that meet the test of making the health system better. But persistent partisan resistance to the ACA has made small as well as significant improvements extremely difficult.

Now, Republican congressional leaders say they will repeal the ACA early this year, with a promise to replace it in subsequent legislation — which, if patterned after House Speaker Paul Ryan’s ideas, would be partly paid for by capping Medicare and Medicaid spending. They have yet to introduce that “replacement bill,” hold a hearing on it, or produce a cost analysis — let alone engage in the more than a year of public debate that preceded passage of the ACA. Instead, they say that such a debate will occur after the ACA is repealed. They claim that a 2- or 3-year delay will be sufficient to develop, pass, and implement a replacement bill.

This approach of “repeal first and replace later” is, simply put, irresponsible — and could slowly bleed the health care system that all of us depend on. (And, though not my focus here, executive actions could have similar consequential negative effects on our health system.) If a repeal with a delay is enacted, the health care system will be standing on the edge of a cliff, resulting in uncertainty and, in some cases, harm beginning immediately. Insurance companies may not want to participate in the Health Insurance Marketplace in 2018 or may significantly increase prices to prepare for changes in the next year or two, partly to try to avoid the blame for any change that is unpopular. Physician practices may stop investing in new approaches to care coordination if Medicare’s Innovation Center is eliminated. Hospitals may have to cut back services and jobs in the short run in anticipation of the surge in uncompensated care that will result from rolling back the Medicaid expansion. Employers may have to reduce raises or delay hiring to plan for faster growth in health care costs without the current law’s cost-saving incentives. And people with preexisting conditions may fear losing lifesaving health care that may no longer be affordable or accessible.

Furthermore, there is no guarantee of getting a second vote to avoid such a cliff, especially on something as difficult as comprehensive health care reform. Put aside the scope of health care reform — the federal health care budget is 50% bigger than that of the Department of Defense.3Put aside how it personally touches every single American — practically every week, I get letters from people passionately sharing how the ACA is working for them and about how we can make it better. “Repeal and replace” is a deceptively catchy phrase — the truth is that health care reform is complex, with many interlocking pieces, so that undoing some of it may undo all of it.

Take, for example, preexisting conditions. For the first time, because of the ACA, people with preexisting conditions cannot be denied coverage, denied benefits, or charged exorbitant rates. I take my successor at his word: he wants to maintain protections for the 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions. Yet Republicans in Congress want to repeal the individual-responsibility portion of the law. I was initially against this Republican idea, but we learned from Massachusetts that individual responsibility, alongside financial assistance, is the only proven way to provide affordable, private, individual insurance to every American. Maintaining protections for people with preexisting conditions without requiring individual responsibility would cost millions of Americans their coverage and cause dramatic premium increases for millions more.4 This is just one of the many complex trade-offs in health care reform.

Given that Republicans have yet to craft a replacement plan, and that unforeseen events might overtake their planned agenda, there might never be a second vote on a plan to replace the ACA if it is repealed. And if a second vote does not happen, tens of millions of Americans will be harmed. A recent Urban Institute analysis estimated that a likely repeal bill would not only reverse recent gains in insurance coverage, but leave us with more uninsured and uncompensated care than when we started.5

Put simply, all our gains are at stake if Congress takes up repealing the health law without an alternative that covers more Americans, improves quality, and makes health care more affordable. That move takes away the opportunity to build on what works and fix what does not. It adds uncertainty to lives of patients, the work of their doctors, and the hospitals and health systems that care for them. And it jeopardizes the improvements in health care that millions of Americans now enjoy.

Congress can take a responsible, bipartisan approach to improving the health care system. This was how we overhauled Medicare’s flawed physician payment system less than 2 years ago. I will applaud legislation that improves Americans’ care, but Republicans should identify improvements and explain their plan from the start — they owe the American people nothing less.

Health care reform isn’t about a nameless, faceless “system.” It’s about the millions of lives at stake — from the cancer survivor who can now take a new job without fear of losing his insurance, to the young person who can stay on her parents’ insurance after college, to the countless Americans who now live healthier lives thanks to the law’s protections. Policymakers should therefore abide by the physician’s oath: “first, do no harm.”

Disclosure forms provided by the author are available at NEJM.org.

The Massachusetts Medical Society copyright applies to the distinctive display of this New England Journal of Medicine article and not to the President’s work or words.

This article was published on January 6, 2017, at NEJM.org.

SOURCE INFORMATION

Mr. Obama is the former President of the United States.

1095-A Form for 2016 Taxes

If you bought health insurance through Connect for Health Colorado’s Marketplace in 2016, you will receive a Form 1095-A (Health Insurance Marketplace Statement) by early February. We will mail paper copies to all our customers by January 31 and it will take a few days to reach you. The 1095-A will also be available in the “My Documents” section of your on-line account. This form will help you report your health insurance coverage and any financial assistance you may have received to the IRS. Be sure to keep the 1095-A in a safe spot with the other records you will use to file your 2016 taxes.

Repealing Obama Care

Washington (CNN)Senate Republicans launched their effort to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's landmark healthcare law early Thursday morning, approving a budget blueprint that they've dubbed the Obamacare "repeal resolution."

The Senate voted 51-48 along party lines for the measure, which relies on the same budget process used seven years ago to approve the landmark healthcare law to now attempt to dismantle it.

"This resolution will set the stage for true legislative relief from Obamacare that Americans have long demanded while ensuring a stable transition," Senate Budget Chairman Mike Enzi of Wyoming said, just after 1 a.m. "The Obamacare bridge is collapsing and we're sending in a rescue team."

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, one of the most vocal GOP opponents of voting on a repeal bill before coming up with a replacement package, voted against the budget resolution and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was absent.

Senators were bleary-eyed as they walked quickly to the exits, wrapping up the final vote a little before 1:30 a.m.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the top Democrat who led the late-night fight against a repeal, said the protest could be a sign of things to come as the fight stretches on.

"I think it's important for this country to know this was not a usual thing, this is a day which lays the groundwork for 30 million people to be thrown off their health insurance," Sanders said. "And if that happens, many of these people will die."

How Sanders plans to deal with Obamacare 02:30

"We wanted to say no matter how late, we're going to stay and fight and represent our constituents -- there are so many constituencies who will be hurt by this repeal without a replace," said New York Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Democratic senators registered a somewhat subtle, but significant protest in the Senate as they cast their votes -- declaring why they were voting against the repeal, a rare move that rankled Republicans in the chamber.

The House is expected take a swift vote on the resolution, possibly as early as Friday, which will trigger congressional committees to begin crafting a second bill that would roll back major parts of Obamacare. Though it will be weeks before Congress votes on that bill, Thursday still marked a victory for the Republican Party as it moves toward overhauling the country's healthcare system.

"Vote-a-rama"

Before Thursday's vote, a political spectacle known as "vote-a-rama" unfolded on the Senate floor.

The largely symbolic exercise -- which began Wednesday evening and stretched into wee hours of Thursday -- was ripe for theater. However, the tone was largely subdued, missing some of the fire of voting marathons in previous years.

Democrats still used the late-night drill to publicly defend the Affordable Care Act and chastise their colleagues across the aisle for starting the process of overhauling a law that gives health insurance to some 20 million Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, stressed the harmful impact of the law and the urgent need to do away with it.

Senators introduced more than 160 amendments to the budget resolution, which led to a marathon session of impassioned speeches and roll call votes. Although these votes were non-binding and the budget resolution doesn't require the president's signature, the process helped crystallize the Democratic Party's top priorities as it looks to defend the major pillars of Obamacare.

The most important amendments for Democrats were aimed at preserving what they argue are popular provisions of Obamacare.

Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin pressed a measure to allow young adults to stay on their parents insurance until age 26. "It will block Republican efforts that would weaken dependent coverage," Baldwin said in a brief but forceful floor speech before the vote.

But Republicans -- many of whom have expressed interest in maintaining the provision when they eventually replace Obamacare -- nevertheless blocked the Baldwin amendment, arguing it wasn't applicable to the underlying budget resolution.

Democrats also sought to protect measures dealing with pre-existing conditions and reproductive healthcare services for women.

Divided but some common ground

At times, the evening also showed that Republicans and Democrats share some common goals -- even if the two political parties are bitterly divided on the merits of Obamacare.

No matter what happens to Obamacare, Manchin said: "We are going to make sure that we protect our rural hospitals and rural clinics."

But on the same topic, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming argued that it was because of Obamacare that rural hospitals have shuttered.

Affordable Health Care 2017

Affordable Health Care

The Affordable Care Act (not the Affordable Healthcare Act) is the US healthcare reform law. The law makes healthcare and health insurance more affordable and more available to more Americans.

It seeks to make health insurance more affordable through a number of mechanisms including: new consumer protections, new rules and regulations on the healthcare industry, new marketplace for subsidized insurance, and through the expansion of public healthcare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act also includes measures to cut the growth in healthcare spending in the US.

TIP: Sometimes people call the Affordable Care Act the Affordable Health Care Act. It’s an easy switch-up considering one of the main focuses of the law is to make healthcare (specifically health insurance) more affordable for more Americans. The proper name for the law is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obama Care for short.

What Does “Affordable” mean in the Affordable Care Act? The “affordable” part is denoting the many specific provisions that seek to make care more affordable in general: it denotes cost assistance (which makes coverage more affordable for those who qualify), it denotes coverage being affordable for those who were previously priced out of coverage, it denotes long-term cost curbing measures, it denotes new limits on maximums and cost sharing, it denotes exemptions for affordability, it denotes expanded benefits, kids staying on parents plans, closing the donut hole, expanding Medicaid, offering tax breaks to small businesses, etc. This doesn’t mean every family will see rates decrease under the ACA (in fact those without assistance have seen rates go up despite some curbing of cost growth). It just means that the act seeks to make coverage more affordable in general, so far a lot of the provisions are working, but there are still some sticking points.

I would suggest shopping around for plans, because it seems like your specific plan is seeing a rate hike. There may well be nothing you can do in your position, and that is unfair. But, there are lots of considerations here.

The Affordable Healthcare Act is The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Sometimes mistakenly called the Affordable Healthcare Act, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is the official name for the new healthcare law. Since that name is so long people usually refer to the law as the Affordable Care Act or ObamaCare, or just say ACA, PPACA for short.

Ways the ACA Addresses Affordable Healthcare

The ACA addresses affordable healthcare and affordable health insurance in a number of ways including but not limited to:

• People with preexisting conditions can’t be charged more or denied treatment.

• There are no more annual or lifetime dollar limits on care.

• The marketplaces subsidize premium costs and out-of-pocket costs.

• A single risk pool is created giving the individual and small group markets the same buying power as large group markets.

• New rules and regulations stop insurance companies from making unjustified rate hikes.

• Women cannot be charged more than men.

• The amount insurers can discriminate price based on facts like age is restricted.

• All plans must have minimum benefits regardless of cost.

• Medicaid is expanded meaning free or low-cost insurance for more Americans.

• Young adults can stay on their parents plan until 26.

• Medicare gets a big overhaul meaning cheaper care for seniors and less costs for hospitals.

• Doctors for the most part will see their rates stay the same or, in the case of Medicaid doctors will see their rates increase.

• Hospitals are incentive to provide quality care over quantity care.

Connect for Health Colorado asked to repay 10 Million dollars

The office audited Connect for Health Colorado, a Denver-based organization also known as the state's health insurance marketplace that opened in 2013 and is considered the state's version of the federal Affordable Care Act.

According to the 29-page audit, the agency failed to follow federal guidelines for spending and documenting several grants administered by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Among the audit's findings: The agency improperly awarded bonuses to executives and employees; approved unallowed spending for certain social activities; required the use of personal credit cards for agency purchases; and failed to fully disclose possible conflicts of interest.

Furthermore, the audit shows the agency improperly approved spending for support and maintenance contracts and moved costs between grants to correct accounting errors.

Kevin Patterson, the agency's CEO, disagrees with the findings and is appealing them.

"Hopefully, they'll be able to say why they did things the way they did, and that the feds will agree with them on that," she said. "It's a new program so as guidelines come out, people interpret them the way they think they are, and the way they think it will best suit their state."

Herbertson said it's unclear how the situation will affect uninsured or under-insured people seeking health care coverage.

Critical Illness & Accident Insurance combined!

If you have an accident or are diagnosed with a critical illness, the last thing you want to worry about is money.  You have health coverage for your medical bills.  But other costs can pile up while your ar focusing on getting well. That's where the combination of critical illness and accident insurance can help!  Please call me for more information.  Agent Jo Anne Bly 719-434-2015

Premium Rate Increase for 2017

While the requested rate increases are concerning, the insurance division review sometimes results in rates being adjusted downward, said Adam Fox, director of strategic engagement for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. And consumers who qualify for financial assistance could find that the subsidies absorb any rate increase.

“These rates do highlight the need to grapple with underlying health care costs and get a handle on those,” Fox said. “Health insurers can do things to control costs and we think they should arguably be doing more. But they’re not the only piece of the puzzle.”

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Service said in a statement Monday that proposed premium changes from preliminary rate filings do not capture what marketplace consumers actually pay. Last year, the average monthly premium for people with HealthCare.gov coverage getting tax credits increased $4 from $102 to $106 per month.

Colorado’s division of insurance has begun to study health care costs and the feasibility of shifting the state to a single geographic rating area, as directed by a law passed in the last legislative session.