ACA Frequently Asked Questions for Employees

There is no difference. These are just different names for the same law. Within this document, we will refer to the law as the ACA.

The law currently remains in effect. We will continue to monitor all legislative activity relating to the ACA and will provide updates as information becomes known.

On December 14, 2018 the Federal District Court issued a ruling finding that the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety. While the future of this litigation is unknown, it is important to emphasize that the ACA remains the law.

In 2016, all Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) must offer affordable minimum essential coverage (MEC) that provides minimum value to 95% of their full-time employees (and dependents) as defined by the ACA (see next question for definition of full-time employee). This is also known as the “employer mandate” or the “employer shared responsibility provision.”

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the definition of full-time includes employees who are paid an average of 130 hours/month (30 hours week). This includes paid vacation leave, sick leave, jury duty pay, etc. Status as a full-time employee under the ACA does not affect your status as a full-time or non-full-time employee for any other purpose.

If you have coverage through your employer, you pay your insurance premiums with pre-tax dollars. You will not be able to purchase coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace using pre-tax dollars. If you have coverage through your employer, you are likely eligible for the employer contribution of your insurance premium. However, if you purchase individual health insurance coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, you must pay the entire cost of the insurance premium (there is no employer contribution to coverage through the Marketplace).

The Health Insurance Marketplace may offer more choices than most employer plans. If your employer does not provide coverage that meets requirements for minimum value and affordability, and your income is low enough, you may be able to get a tax credit if you buy coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.  Note: The State of Wisconsin health insurance plans available through the University meet the requirements for affordability and minimum value under the ACA.

Form 1095-A is the Health Insurance Marketplace statement. You'll get this statement if you bought health coverage through the "Marketplace" - the web-based insurance markets that the federal government and states set up under the ACA.

Form 1095-B is a statement from your health insurance company verifying that you and other members of your household had insurance coverage that met the requirements of the ACA during the prior year (fully-insured plans).

Form 1095-C is a statement from your employer providing details about the health coverage offered by your employer and whether you chose to participate. Individuals that purchased health insurance coverage through the Marketplace will use the information found on this form to determine if they are eligible for a premium tax credit.

More information at: www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Individuals-and-Families

Beginning in 2016, employers must file Forms 1095-C with the IRS to report information about the offers of health coverage made to full-time employees during the previous calendar year and provide copies of Forms 1095-C to those employees. Like W-2s, copies of Forms 1095-B and/or 1095-C should be provided to you early in the calendar year for the previous year. 

You will receive a Form 1095-C if you were a full-time employee (as defined by the ACA) for all or some months of the prior calendar year. You receive a copy of the Form 1095-C so you know what information has been reported to the IRS about the offer of health coverage made to you and your family. More information: www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Questions-and-Answers-about-Health-Care-Information-Forms-for-Individuals.

Beginning in 2016, the insurance carrier must file Form 1095-B with the IRS and furnish a copy to the individual for whom coverage was provided during the previous calendar year. You are receiving a Form 1095-B because the insurance carrier provided either you and/or your family member(s) with health coverage during the previous calendar year.

The information included on your Form W-2, Box 12, code DD states the total cost (employee & employer share) of the employer-sponsored health insurance you enrolled in during a single calendar year. It does not show the months in which you enrolled in coverage or the lowest cost (employee share), employee-only coverage offered to you.

Forms 1095-B and 1095-C show enrollment information on a monthly basis and include information about the lowest cost (employee share), employee-only coverage offered to you. Thus, your Form W-2 contains different information than Forms 1095-B and 1095-C.

Generally, no. Form 1095-Cs are only required to be provided to full-time employees. As for Form 1095-B, all family members that are covered through your enrollment (for example, because you elected family coverage) should appear on the same Form, which is required to be provided to you as the “responsible individual.” However, in some instances, a spouse and/or dependent may receive his/her own copy of Form 1095-B if he/she independently enrolls in COBRA coverage and you do not enroll in COBRA coverage (e.g., divorce).

*If a spouse and/or dependent is also employed full time, he or she may receive these forms from his or her employer as well.

You should retain both your Forms 1095-B and 1095-C with your tax records. While the information on these forms may assist in preparing a return, they are not required. You should not wait for these forms to file your returns as you normally would.

Review the IRS website for information on what is needed to file your taxes.

If you have any questions regarding your 1095-B, contact your health plan. If you have questions regarding your 1095-C, contact the UW System Service Center at servicecenter@uwsa.edu or (855) 489-7877 or (608) 262-0600.

The UW System is statutorily prohibited from offering employer-sponsored health insurance to student help employees. To ensure student help employees are not classified as “full-time” under the ACA, institutions must (1) limit use of lump sum payments and (2) cap hours of service.

Effective January 1, 2016, UW System Administrative Policy 1237 (formerly GEN 20) Student Employment was implemented which limits student help hours worked to 25 hours per week. Under the policy, students may, however, work up to 40 hours per week during weeks when class is not in session providing it is also permitted by the individual institution. Federal Work-Study hours, including the institution match, will not count towards the hours evaluated to determine a full-time employee for purposes of the ACA. 

A temporary exception to both lump sum payments and the cap on hours is being granted for Resident Assistant/Resident Advisors/Resident Counselors. Student employees in this classification are allowed to be paid on a lump sum and work over 25 hours per week until further clarification is provided, but will be moved to a separate job code and actual hours must be tracked and reported at the time of a lump sum payment.

We will not count graduate assistant hours towards the student help hour cap. For student help hours, the hours worked in that classification that are not in a job funded by federal work study dollars would still need to be capped at 25, even if the risk is reduced by the employee being dually employed in a benefits eligible position.  

Employees who meet the criteria established by the ACA will be treated as full-time employees solely for ACA reporting purposes and the Employer Mandate during the stability period.

One of the most common terms used to refer to two separate pieces of legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The two pieces of legislation were the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.

Employers subject to the employer shared responsibility provisions of the ACA.

Employees eligible for the Graduate Short-Term Academic Staff or Wisconsin Retirement System benefits package based on their employment at the UW System. Review the General Employee Information page for more information.

The ACA requires nearly everyone to have health insurance that meets minimum standards. Those that do not maintain health insurance coverage will pay a penalty starting in 2014. Effective January 1, 2019 the Individual Mandate penalty has been reduced to $0.

MEC is generally any type of employer-sponsored health coverage, certain types of governmental coverage such as Medicare or Medicaid, and other types of health coverage specifically identified by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Minimum value is provided by the plan if it pays at least 60% of the costs of benefits and provides inpatient hospitalization services and physician services.