IRS 1095-B, 1094-B, 1095-C, & 1094-C forms
Starting with the 2015 tax year, insurance companies and large employers are going to have to report to the IRS and their enrolled members proof that they were in fact enrolled in a qualified health plan that offered "minimum essential coverage" to avoid having to pay a tax penalty. These forms will need to be sent to insured's by the end of January following the end of the tax year.
The forms used to notify members, and the IRS, of whether or not they, in fact, did have minimum essential coverage are the alphabet soup of forms listed above. So what do each of these forms do and who is required to file them where? Let's go over that.
1095-B form
The first and most common form we will look at is the 1095-B form. This form is required to be filed by the insurance company that had a member enrolled in a qualified health plan for the year. For each enrolled member, the insurance company will send one copy of this form to the member and one copy to the IRS. For small groups, the insurance company sends these forms directly to the employees enrolled on the plan, and to the IRS.
Employers may have to generate these forms for their employees if they choose to self insure any portion of their health insurance (meaning the employer pays claims direct to the employee instead of the insurance company). These forms should be sent to members/employees by the end of January and to the IRS by the end of February. Insurance companies have until the end of March to send to the IRS if sending electronically. Anyone sending 250 or more 1095-B forms must file them electronically.
1094-B form
This is a very short form that is like a coversheet or summary of transmittal form. Basically this form is sent to the IRS to notify them of the members of a group that they are sending 1095-B forms for. Contained on this form is the name of the insurance company, its employer identification number and address, and the name and phone number of someone the IRS can call if it has any questions. The form has a place for the insurer to identify how many 1095-B forms are being sent along with the 1094-B.
1095-C form
This form serves the same purpose as the 1095-B form except that it is for large employers (now, meaning more than 100 employees). Since Applicable Large Employers (ALE's) are required to offer health insurance, the 1095-C form is used to notify their employees and the IRS that they did, in fact, provide this required coverage. If large employers (ALE's) want to include both the 1095-B and 1095-C form on one they can combine them by providing only the 1095-C form since they contain the same information.
1094-C form
This form is just like the 1094-B form except that it is the coversheet/summary page sent to the IRS for large employers summarizing the 1095-C forms being sent in.
The forms used to notify members, and the IRS, of whether or not they, in fact, did have minimum essential coverage are the alphabet soup of forms listed above. So what do each of these forms do and who is required to file them where? Let's go over that.
1095-B form
The first and most common form we will look at is the 1095-B form. This form is required to be filed by the insurance company that had a member enrolled in a qualified health plan for the year. For each enrolled member, the insurance company will send one copy of this form to the member and one copy to the IRS. For small groups, the insurance company sends these forms directly to the employees enrolled on the plan, and to the IRS.
Employers may have to generate these forms for their employees if they choose to self insure any portion of their health insurance (meaning the employer pays claims direct to the employee instead of the insurance company). These forms should be sent to members/employees by the end of January and to the IRS by the end of February. Insurance companies have until the end of March to send to the IRS if sending electronically. Anyone sending 250 or more 1095-B forms must file them electronically.
1094-B form
This is a very short form that is like a coversheet or summary of transmittal form. Basically this form is sent to the IRS to notify them of the members of a group that they are sending 1095-B forms for. Contained on this form is the name of the insurance company, its employer identification number and address, and the name and phone number of someone the IRS can call if it has any questions. The form has a place for the insurer to identify how many 1095-B forms are being sent along with the 1094-B.
1095-C form
This form serves the same purpose as the 1095-B form except that it is for large employers (now, meaning more than 100 employees). Since Applicable Large Employers (ALE's) are required to offer health insurance, the 1095-C form is used to notify their employees and the IRS that they did, in fact, provide this required coverage. If large employers (ALE's) want to include both the 1095-B and 1095-C form on one they can combine them by providing only the 1095-C form since they contain the same information.
1094-C form
This form is just like the 1094-B form except that it is the coversheet/summary page sent to the IRS for large employers summarizing the 1095-C forms being sent in.
