By Danielle Capilla
Chief Compliance Officer at United Benefit Advisors
Minimum essential coverage or “MEC” is the type of coverage that an individual must have under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Employers that are subject to the ACA’s shared responsibility provisions (often called play or pay) must offer MEC coverage that is affordable and provides minimum value.
The IRS has issued Notice 2015-68 stating that it intends to propose regulations relating to reporting on MEC that would:
- Provide that health insurance issuers must report coverage in catastrophic health insurance plans, as described in section 1302(e) of the Affordable Care Act, provided through an Affordable Insurance Exchange (Exchange, also known as a Health Insurance Marketplace),
- Allow electronic delivery of statements reporting coverage under expatriate health plans unless the recipient explicitly refuses consent or requests a paper statement,
- Allow filers reporting on insured group health plans to use a truncated taxpayer identification number (TTIN) to identify the employer on the statement furnished to a taxpayer, and
Specify when a provider of minimum essential coverage is not required to report coverage of an individual who has other minimum essential coverage.
The notice also seeks comments on the issues regarding soliciting taxpayer identification numbers of covered individuals, provides information on Medicaid and CHIP reporting for governments of United States possessions and territories, and provides that states sponsoring coverage under the Basic Health Program must report on that coverage.
Download our free ACA advisor, “IRS Notice on Minimum Essential Coverage Reporting” for detailed information related to:
- Catastrophic coverage
- Employer EIN
- Expatriate plans
- Supplemental coverage
- Penalty relief
