Providing Form 1095-B Still Required by the ACA
January 29, 2018
Applies to: All Markets, excluding Medicare
On or about January 31, 2018, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey will begin mailing Form 1095-B to members who either bought their coverage directly from Horizon BCBSNJ and not through Healthcare.gov OR who have Horizon BCBSNJ coverage through their fully insured employer-sponsored health plan. A sample of the letter being sent to members, along with a sample 1095-B form, is attached.
Form 1095-B is informational and is issued to help our members comply with their responsibilities under the Affordable Care Act (ACA); it does not need to be attached to federal income tax returns.
Form 1095-B includes the following information for members and their covered dependents:
- Name(s)
- Last four digits of the Social Security Number(s) (SSN)
- Date(s) of birth (if SSN is not available)
- Months of fully insured health insurance coverage with Horizon BCBSNJ from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017
Horizon BCBSNJ will report to the IRS the months that the fully insured member and their covered dependents had qualifying health coverage through Horizon BCBSNJ. Horizon BCBSNJ can only provide our members with the months that they and their qualified dependents had fully insured Horizon BCBSNJ coverage. In addition to receiving the form through the mail, members with fully insured coverage can also sign into Member Online Services at HorizonBlue.com to view their form.
If a member had coverage through a different employer or insurer, the member will receive a form from that employer or insurer. If a member bought their coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, the member will receive Form 1095-A from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Reporting obligations for self-insured groups
The ACA requires self-insured group health plans to be responsible for certain reporting obligations. As a result, Horizon BCBSNJ will not provide the IRS with the months of qualifying insurance on behalf of its clients with self-insured plans, nor will we send any information about months of coverage to their employees. However, Horizon BCBSNJ may provide, upon request from the group to their Account Manager, a data file containing limited information that may be used in completing any required reporting.
This information should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Questions your clients or their employees may have about their specific circumstances should be referred to their tax or legal professional.
If you have questions, please contact your Horizon BCBSNJ sales executive or account manager.