Saturday, February 21, 2015
Today, the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (HBX) announced that important new tools are available on DCHealthLink.com for the 2014 tax year. These tools are crucial for District residents covered through DC Health Link's individual marketplace because individuals and families are for the first time being asked to report premium assistance they received for private health insurance coverage to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). District residents who received the Advanced Premium Tax Credit (APTC) and those who would like to claim the premium tax credit for marketplace coverage will need the information provided by DC Health Link when they file their 2014 tax returns.
To help District residents with this new tax filing process, DC Health Link has added a “Tax Information” button to the homepage of DCHealthLink.com. It takes consumers to a dedicated webpage that explains the Form 1095-A, as well as how the ACA affects 2014 tax filings. Importantly, this site also provides the opportunity for DC Health Link customers to download their 1095-A form if they prefer an electronic version to a paper mailed version.
District residents who had health insurance during 2014 from a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) obtained through DC Health Link’s individual marketplace should have recently received a Form 1095-A Health Insurance Marketplace Statement from HBX. Form 1095-A is a new federal tax form required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that marketplaces must send to their individual market customers. HBX mailed these forms to District households with one or more family members who were enrolled in a QHP through DC Health Link’s individual marketplace at any point during 2014.
People who will not receive Form 1095-A from DC Health Link include:
- People who had health insurance through another source, such as their employer or a public health insurance program such as Medicaid—even if they obtained that coverage through DC Health Link
- Residents who enrolled in a catastrophic plan through DC Health Link
- People covered under their employer’s plan through the DC Health Link Small Business Marketplace, including Congressional Members and designated staff
Visit DC Health Link’s tax information page: https://www.dchealthlink.com/2014taxinfo
Or, go to DCHealthLink.com and click on the “Tax Information” button located on the bottom left corner of the homepage.
Background
The Affordable Care Act provides individuals, families, and small businesses in the District of Columbia with affordable options for quality health insurance through a new online health insurance marketplace called DC Health Link. For 2015, there are 31 different private health insurance options (this includes 3 catastrophic plans) from Aetna, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Kaiser Permanente for individuals and families. There are 192 private health insurance options for small businesses from Aetna, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, Kaiser Permanente, and United Healthcare. Residents can also apply for public insurance called Medicaid. DC Health Link is endorsed by the DC Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, and the National Association of Health Underwriters.
The 2015 individual marketplace open enrollment has ended. Residents who qualify for a special enrollment period, for reasons such as losing their job or moving to the District, can enroll through DCHealthLink.com when they have a triggering event any time during the year. People can apply for Medicaid coverage any time during the year. Small businesses can enroll any time during the year.