Individual shared responsibility provision

The individual shared responsibility provision[1] is the official name of the individual mandate imposed by the Obamacare in the United States. The mandate requires most individuals and their families to have a certain minimal amount of health insurance, with certain exemptions. Otherwise, they are required to pay the individual shared responsibility payment as a fine.[2][3] The corresponding payment is the individual shared responsibility payment.[4][5] It is one of the many Affordable Care Act tax provisions.

Summary

Starting January 2014, individuals and their families must have at least minimum essential coverage.[1][6] Individuals may be exempt from health insurance coverage in some cases:

Individuals and their families who have no health insurance, are required to make the shared responsibility payment.[4]

History

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed in 2010 imposed a health insurance mandate to take effect in 2014. On June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the health insurance mandate as a valid tax, in the case of National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius and thus within Congress' taxing power.

Minimum essential coverage

Whether health care coverage qualifies as minimum essential coverage depends largely on the type of coverage it is.[7] Most coverage that people have is considered to be minimum essential coverage. However, coverage providing only limited benefits does not qualify as minimum essential coverage.[7]

The following table mentions some of the more common health care coverage situations and whether or not they qualify as minimum essential coverage.[7]
Coverage Type Examples Qualifies as Minimum

Essential Coverage?

Employer-sponsored coverage
  • Group health insurance coverage for employees under a governmental plan, such as the Federal Employees Health Benefit program
  • A self-insured group health plan for employees
  • Retiree coverage
 Yes
Individual health coverage
  • Health insurance purchased directly from an insurance company
  • Health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace
  • Health insurance provided through a student health plan
 Yes
Coverage under government-sponsored programs
  • Medicare Part A coverage
  • Medicare Advantage plans
  • Most Medicaid coverage
  • Coverage through a Basic Health Program (BHP) standard health plan
 Yes
Coverage that provides limited benefits
  • Coverage consisting solely of excepted benefits, such as stand-alone dental, vision, accident, or disability insurance
  • Medicaid providing only a single service, for example, providing only family planning services
  • Some TRICARE coverage
 No

Coverage exemption

If individuals or anyone in their families claim an exemption from minimum essential coverage, individuals are not required to make a shared responsibility payment. If individuals have a gross income below the tax return filing threshold for a certain year, they are automatically exempt from the shared responsibility provision for that year.[8]

Most exemptions are claimed using Form 8965, Health Coverage Exemptions[9], when a tax return is filed. However, certain exemptions must be granted by the Health Insurance Marketplace in advance, like coverage exemptions for certain hardship situations and for members of certain religious sects.[8]

The following table shows some types of exemptions available and indicates whether the exemption is granted by the marketplace, claimed on a tax return, or both.[8]
Exemptions Granted by Marketplace,

Claimed on Tax Return, or either

Coverage is considered unaffordable Tax Return
Income below the return filing threshold Tax Return
Citizens living abroad Tax Return
Nonresidents Tax Return
Member of Indian Tribe Either
Member of certain religious sects Marketplace
General hardship Marketplace
Resident of a state that did not expand Medicaid Either

Shared responsibility payment

Individuals without minimum essential coverage are required to make the shared responsibility payment, unless they qualify for exemptions. The worksheets located in the instructions[10] to Form 8965, Health Coverage Exemptions, can be used to figure the shared responsibility payment amount that is due. The annual payment amount is a percentage of the household income in excess of the return filing threshold or a flat dollar amount, whichever is greater.[11][12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Individual Shared Responsibility Provision". www.irs.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
  2. ↑ Andrews, Michelle (2016-02-17). "Taxpayers Confused By Late Health Law Forms". npr.org. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
  3. ↑ Martin, Ray (2016-01-04). "What you need to know about Obamacare tax forms". cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
  4. 1 2 "The Individual Shared Responsibility Payment - An Overview". www.irs.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
  5. ↑ "Financial Friday: The Individual Shared Responsibility Provision". Retrieved 2016-08-23.
  6. ↑ "The Individual Shared Responsibility Provision – The Basics – Veterans Reporter News". www.veteransreporternews.com. Retrieved 2016-08-23.
  7. 1 2 3 "Individual Shared Responsibility Provision - Minimum Essential Coverage". www.irs.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
  8. 1 2 3 "Individual Shared Responsibility Provision – Exemptions: Claiming or Reporting". www.irs.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
  9. ↑ "Form 8965 Health Coverage Exemptions" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved 2016-02-15.
  10. ↑ "Instructions for Form 8965" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. Retrieved 2016-02-15.
  11. ↑ "Individual Shared Responsibility Provision – Reporting and Calculating the Payment". www.irs.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-14.
  12. ↑ Ebeling, Ashlea. "New Obamacare Tax This Filing Season: Your Shared Responsibility". Retrieved 2016-08-23.

External links

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