Reporting Member’s Coverage Still Required by the ACA
November 3, 2017
Applies to: All Markets (Fully-Insured)
Under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Insurance Coverage Reporting requirement, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey must provide information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about its fully-insured members’ health insurance coverage using each member’s Social Security Number (SSN) and the SSNs of any individuals covered under their policy.
For the third consecutive year, Horizon BCBSNJ will collect and submit this information to the IRS on behalf of its fully-insured members as proof that they had minimum essential health insurance coverage in 2017. Additionally, Horizon BCBSNJ is required to send the 1095-B Form to fully-insured members by January 31, 2018 and electronically to the IRS by March 31, 2018 as proof of the coverage.
If Horizon BCBSNJ is unable to accurately provide this information to the IRS because members have not submitted accurate information, the member may be subject to a financial penalty from the IRS.
Horizon BCBSNJ will report the required information to the IRS for our fully-insured groups only.
Solicitation and collection of SSNs
Horizon BCBSNJ has identified which of our fully-insured members have missing or incomplete SSNs, and once again contracted with Thomson Reuters for the collection of that information.
On or about November 6, 2017, fully-insured members who we do not have a SSN on record will receive a letter from Horizon BCBSNJ with instructions on how to update their information. A sample of the letter is attached. Members who do not have missing information in our files will not receive a letter requesting his/her SSN.
Impacted members can provide the required information in one of the following ways:
- Online – Sign in to our secure Member Online Services at HorizonBlue.com/1095 to update their information. Members will be redirected to a third-party website once signed in.
- Email – Complete the paper form that is enclosed with the letter, and scan and email it to midmajor_enrollment@HorizonBlue.com. Please include 01095SL in the subject line.
- Mail – Complete and return the paper form that is enclosed with the letter.
Horizon BCBSNJ will not solicit for SSNs over the phone or through email.
Your clients’ employees information is secure and will be kept confidential. Third parties who conduct business on behalf of Horizon BCBSNJ are obligated to follow the same HIPAA security and privacy laws as Horizon BCBSNJ, and are obligated to safeguard our members’ information.1
This information should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Questions your clients 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.
1 Privacy is important to us. We are committed to keeping our members’ personal information (PI) private. For detailed information on how we protect and safeguard, as well as use and disclose PI, please visit HorizonBlue.com/privacy-policy.