What is a Health Care Marketplace?

With all this Affordable Care Act talk going around, you’ve probably heard the term “Health Care Marketplace,” or maybe even “ObamaCare Marketplace,” dropped once or twice. But just what is this mythical marketplace?

Is it an actual place where insurance salesmen hawk different insurance packages all wrapped up in paper and string? Sort of! But not exactly.

The Health Insurance Marketplace is your state’s price comparison website for subsidized health insurance. Each year during the annual open enrollment period, you can enroll in a plan, switch plans, or apply for cost assistance.

If you don’t receive insurance from your employer, the Health Insurance Marketplace is where you can go to be sure you’re getting health insurance that meets minimum essential coverage and minimum value. And those are things you want to make sure you have, otherwise, you'll have to pay a pretty hefty fine.

As we mentioned earlier, each state has a different marketplace. And you’ll want to make sure you’re on the right website for your state. If you’re in:

• Arkansas, use the Arkansas Health Connector,
• California, use Covered California,
• Colorado, use the Connect for Health Colorado site,
• Connecticut, use Access Health CT,
• District of Columbia, use the DC Health Link,
• Hawaii, use the Hawaii Health Connector,
• Idaho, use Your Health Idaho,
• Kentucky, use Kentucky’s Healthcare Connection,
• Maryland, use the Maryland Health Connection,
• Massachusetts, use the Health Connector,
• Minnesota, use MNsure,
• Nevada
• Individuals: HealthCare.gov
• Employers shopping for employee health plans: Nevada Health Link
• New Mexico, use BeWellNM,
• New York, use the New York State of Health,
• Oregon
• Individuals: HealthCare.gov
• Individuals applying for Medicaid and CHIP: Cover Oregon
• Rhode Island, use HealthSourceRI,
• Utah
• Individuals: HealthCare.gov
• Small businesses and their employees: Avenue H
• Vermont, use the Vermont Health Connect, and
• Washington, use the Washington Healthplanfinder.

If you live in any other state, you’ll use the official Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace website, www.HealthCare.gov. If you live in one of the US territories (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands), you’re not eligible to use the Marketplace to apply for health insurance and should check with your territory’s government offices to learn about your options.




While our software is designed to help employers and third party providers e-file ACA returns, we’re also committed to providing accurate, up-to-date ACA information, so stay tuned for more from ExpressACAForms!

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Affordable Care Act Transmittal Forms 1094-B and 1094-C

Did you know that there’s more to your Affordable Care Act return than just Form 1095-B or 1095-C? That’s right: your ACA forms must be sent with a transmittal return, either Form 1094-B or 1094-C, each year.

Form 1094-B
Submitted with Forms 1095-B is Form 1094-B, Transmittal of Health Coverage Information Returns. The majority of Form 1094-B consists of basic information about the filer, including name, EIN, and contact information. On Form 1094-B, the filer also needs to report the number of Forms 1095-B submitted with the transmittal form.

Form 1094-B also requires the filer’s signature, title, and date before it can be submitted with the complete ACA return.

Form 1094-C
Form 1094-C, Transmittal of Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Information Returns, which is submitted with 1095-C Forms, is a bit more complex than Form 1094-B. Because it requires more information, Form 1094-C is split into three parts:

• Part I: Applicable Large Employer Member (ALE Member)
• Part I includes all the basic information about the ALE whose ACA report this 1094-C belongs to, including the name, EIN, address, and person of contact.
• Lines 9-16 of Part I are filled out if the filer is a Designated Governmental Entity (DGE) filing on behalf of an employer. So in some instances, these lines will need to be left blank.
• On line 18 of Part I, the total number of 1095-C forms accompanying the 1094-C is included.
• And lastly, if this Form 1094-C is the authoritative transmittal for an ALE member in a group return, the box on line 19 should be checked. There can only be one authoritative transmittal filed for each employer.
• Part II: ALE Member Information
• In Part II of Form 1094-C, the filer will provide information on whether or not they’re a member of an Aggregated ALE Group. They’ll also need to include the total number of 1095-C forms filed by and/or on behalf of the ALE member and indicate if they apply for any Certifications of Eligibility.
• If the filer has multiple returns, they only need to fill out Part II on the authoritative transmittal Form 1094-C (as indicated by line 19).
• Part III: ALE Member Information - Monthly
• In Part III, filers indicate how many full-time employees and total employees they had each month of the year.
• Part IV: Other ALE Members of Aggregated ALE Group
• If the filer is a part of an Aggregated ALE Group and checked “Yes” on line 21 of Form 1094-C, they’ll need to complete Part IV.
• In Part IV, the filer lists the names and EINs of other ALE members of the Aggregated ALE Group.

Questions?
So there you have it: Forms 1094-B and 1094-C. If you have any further questions about these forms or how to e-file them, don’t hesitate to contact us here at ExpressACAForms! You can give us a call (704-839-2270) or send us a live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. Can’t make it then? Just send us an email to support@ExpressACAForms.com and we’ll get back with you as soon as possible!

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What Happens at ExpressACAForms After the Deadline?

It’s officially been a whole month since the 2015 Affordable Care Act filing deadline, and - believe it or not - ExpressACAForms hasn’t slowed down!

Sure, the actual number of forms we’re e-filing with the IRS for our clients has gone down; that’s to be expected when you have awesome clients who file on time. But the work we put into making ExpressACAForms the best e-filing option for Forms 1094 and 1095 hasn’t waned a bit.

We’re Still Helping with Corrections
Some of the errors that cause ACA forms rejections can get complex and time-consuming, especially TIN mismatches. Understandably, you’re already frustrated because you were sure the information you submitted the first time around was correct. And sometimes, even after submitting corrections, you can get another rejection because of a discrepancy in the IRS’s records.

Helping you through the entire correction process is one of the reasons the EACA customer support team is in our South Carolina based office year-round. We want to help make sure your forms are filed and finished, beginning to end, through all the corrections.

We’re Reading Up for Next Year
While the ACA deadline extension this year was a welcome relief for filers, e-file providers, and the IRS alike, it does mean that there’s now less time left for everyone to get themselves together for the 2016 filing season. Then, once January rolls around, we have to deal with the fact that we have half as much time to get ACA filings complete in 2017.

That’s why we’re keeping up to date with IRS news and data regarding 2016 ACA filing. At ExpressACAForms, you can always be sure we’ve got the latest, most secure option in IRS-authorized e-filing software.

We’re Coming Up with New and Better Ways to Help You
Just being up to date with IRS requirements and offering correction assistance aren’t enough to make ExpressACAForms the best and most innovative in ACA e-filing technology. Which is why we also make small tweaks to the program (don’t worry, you can still access and use everything in your account during these updates) during our “off season.” Additionally, keep an eye out for our year-round, full-service Affordable Care Act compliance and e-filing program (coming soon!), which offers even more ACA tools than EACA!


As we said earlier, if you have any questions, the EACA support team is here to help! Give us a call (704-839-2270) or send us a live chat Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT. Or send us an email anytime to support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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E-filing Your 1095 Forms with the ACA Experts

Believe it or not, how you e-file your Forms 1094 and 1095 can have a serious effect on the outcome of your ACA return. We’ve already talked about how paper filing just doesn’t measure up to e-filing, so we figure you’re probably here to see why you should e-file with ExpressACAForms rather than any of your other e-filing options. Well look no further, we’re here to tell you:

Ease of Filing
As far as being able to offer e-filing with speed and ease, you won’t find anyone faster or easier than ExpressACAForms. All you have to do is upload the ACA information you already have, and our state-of-the-art system processes and generates your return. Then you review everything and, if it looks good, hit the transmit button. You’d need magic or a time machine to get your paper forms completed that quickly.

TIN Verification and Error Checks
It’s one thing to just create your forms and send them directly to the IRS for you, but ExpressACAForms wanted to do more for you, the filer. That’s why we built in multiple error checks, including a TIN verification, at different steps of the process to ensure your return is sent error-free, saving you time and any potential fees.

Postal Mailing
While we - and the IRS - highly recommend e-filing, there’s one part of your ACA requirement that can’t be sent electronically: your recipient copies. Even if you e-file, the employee or recipient copies of Form 1095 you’re reporting still need to be printed and mailed to the appropriate recipient. At ExpressACAForms, we do that for you. Once you transmit your return, we guarantee we’ll have your recipient copies printed, stamped, and mailed by the next business day.

Meanwhile, Need Any Help?
With ExpressACAForms, you’re never left alone in the dark to figure out your ACA forms. Our expert customer support team is available by phone Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT at (704) 839-2270, and is available by email anytime at support@ExpressACAForms.com.

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But Why ExpressACAForms?

Filing for the 2015 tax year hasn’t even begun yet, but there’s a good chance you’re already tired of hearing about the new Affordable Care Act forms that are required to be filed next year. In fact, there’s a good chance you’re just tired of the Affordable Care Act altogether at this point.

So that probably means you want to get these forms done as quickly and easily as possible so you can focus on other, more important things, right? Unless, of course, you’re the type to close your eyes and ears and shut yourself in your room until the scary, mean form goes away. But since we don’t get to do that so often as adults, you might want to go for the former option with these ACA forms.

One of the quickest and easiest ways to get Forms 1094-B/C and 1095-B/C completed and filed with the IRS is to e-file with ExpressACAForms. If you’ve used one of our other tax filing products (like ExpressTaxFilings or Express990), then you’re probably already familiar with how we break down these complicated IRS forms into easy-to-understand questions. Since you won’t be spending so much time trying to decipher Forms 1094 and 1095, you’ll be able to finish them in a fraction of the time it would’ve taken you to paper file.

ExpressACAForms also saves you time and headaches by making sure your forms are filed and accepted the first time around. We guarantee accurate calculations based on the information you enter, and before anything gets sent to the IRS, our exclusive audit check feature will review your form for any obvious errors.

And, as always, our customer support is beyond stellar. Our team of e-filing experts are located right here in the United States -- Rock Hill, South Carolina to be exact -- and are always happy to help you out. Just give us a call Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST at (704) 839-2270, or send us a live chat through our website. We also offer 24/7 email support at support@expressirsforms.com.

Oh, and did we mention that you can e-file your ACA forms for the current 2014 tax year absolutely free? Because you can. So give us a shot, and see why you’ll want to keep filing with ExpressACAForms!

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ExpressACA Cares: Veterans Day

We at SPAN Enterprises, parent company of ExpressACAForms, would like to take a break from telling you about the wonders that are the Affordable Care Act forms by dedicating this blog post to Veterans Day and extending our deepest gratitudes to those who have served and who continue to serve.

On June 28, 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed that officially ended World War I, the war to end all wars (or so we thought). However, the fighting actually ended seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary ceasefire, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. A year later, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.

On May 13, 1938, the 11th of November was made into a legal holiday, a day to be dedicated each year to the cause of world peace, known as Armistice Day. Armistice Day was primarily set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen in the nation’s history; after American forces fought aggression in Korea, the Act of 1938 was amended by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.”

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. Not to be confused with Memorial Day, a day to remember those who gave their lives while serving, Veterans Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans. It is a day to say thank you to those who have risked - and still risk - their lives when their country needed them.

In honor of all that you’ve done, there are many restaurants and companies who want to honor and thank veterans by providing you with discounts or a free meal:

-Applebees, free meal -Bar Louie, free meal -BJs Restaurant and Brewhouse, free entry -Bob Evans, free all you can eat hotcakes -Bonanza Steakhouse, free buffet -Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille, free 6 oz sirloin -Buehler’s Grocery, free breakfast -Buffalo’s Cafe, free meal -Calhoun’s Restaurant, free meal -California Pizza Kitchen, free meal -Carraba’s, free appetizer -Cattlemens Steakhouse, free 8 oz sirloin -CentraArchy Restaurants, free meal, 25% off guests -Cheeseburger in Paradise, free burger -Chili’s, free meal -City’s Barbeque, free sandwich platter -Claim Jumper, free entree -Cotton Patch Cafe, free meal

-Country Cookin, free meal -Denny’s, free Grand Slam -Fatz, free meal -Fox & Hound and Bailey’s Sports Grille, free sandwich -Friendly’s, free meal -Glory Days, free app/wings -Golden Corral, free meal -Green Mill, free lunch or dinner -Grub Burger Bar, 50% off meal & free shake -Hooters, free meal -Hoss’s Family Steak & Sea House, free meal -Hurricane Grill & Wings, free meal -Hy-Vee, free breakfast -IHOP, free pancakes -Little Caesars Pizza, free pizza -LongHorn Steakhouse, free Texas Tonion and drink -Max & Erma’s, free cheeseburger -McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants, free lunch or dinner -Menchie’s, free 6 oz fro-yo -Misison BBQ, free meal -MOD Pizza, free pizza/salad -O’Charley’s, free entree -Olive Garden, free entree -On the Border, free meal -Orange Leaf, free fro-yo -Outback Steakhouse, free Bloomin’ Onion & drink

-PDQ Tenders, free 3pc tenders or sandwich -Pinnacle Entertainment, free buffet -Ponderosa Steakhouse, free buffet -Primanti Bros, free sandwich -Red Lobster, free app/dessert -Red Robin, free Red’s Tavern Double -Rock & Brews, free sandwich -Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Grill, free garlic cheese bread or hummus -Sheetz, free lunch -Shoney’s, free burger -Sizzler Restaurants, free lunch -Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, free meal -Spaghetti Warehouse, BOGO free entree -StarBucks, free tall coffee -Tap House Grill, free meal -Texas Roadhouse, free lunch -TGI Friday’s, free lunch -Tijuana Flats, free lunch -Tony Roma’s, free half rack Baby Back Ribs -Tubby’s Sub Shops, free sub -Twin Peaks, free menu item -Uno Chicago Grill, free pizza or entree -Village Inn, free breakfast -Wienerschnitzel, free hot dog and small drink -54th Street Grill, free meal

And if there’s anything we can do for you, give us a shout 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com or Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at (704) 839-2270.

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Benefits of E-filing Form 1095-B/1095-C with ExpressACAForms.com

No one likes hearing they have to do something. Yes, there are some things that we all have to do (the phrase “death and taxes” comes to mind), but isn’t it nice when you have an incentive to do those things?

The IRS doesn’t usually give you much of an incentive when they tell you that you have to do something, they’re more the my-way-or-the-highway types. And now you have to do these Affordable Care Act information returns, putting in time and effort, and for what? To stay within the lines of the law? To NOT pay a $3 million fine? Yeah, okay, avoiding fines isn’t a bad incentive, but it’s not a super fun one either.

Enter ExpressACAForms, your bright light at the end of the ACA reporting tunnel, your end-of-the-year bonus check, your treat for drooling when Pavlov rings the bell. Take a look at some of the great incentives you have for e-filing your Affordable Care Act information returns with ExpressACAForms.com:

Save Time
With ExpressACAForms, a seamless, sophisticated, electronic process is integrated into information filing that is much faster than paper filing. Transmit your form to the IRS and print and mail copies to your recipients all from one service with one website.

Save Money
Yeah, you might find someplace else offering similar service, but rest assured it won’t be at this premier level with the most tax-savvy, comprehensive assistance that you’ve ever experienced. We’re even offering filing of the 2014 tax year for free! You won’t find our value-based pricing anywhere else.

Feel Smarter
Nothing will make you feel like you’re reading Greek like an IRS form (unless, that is, you’re actually reading something written in Greek). ExpressACAForms doesn’t just slap a scanned version of an ACA form on your screen and have you fill in the blanks. We’ve screened every page, section, and question of the original forms and present them as basic “Yes or No” questions. And before the IRS sees anything, our built-in form review will let you know about any mistakes or errors so you can correct them before your final transmission. By the end of your first use, you’ll truly feel like an ExpressACAForms expert.

Stay Safe
ExpressACAForms works closely with the IRS to offer you the utmost in security, simplicity, and accuracy with your e-filing experience. Our site is encrypted, McAfee secure certified, and protected by SSL (Secured Socket Layer). Your information goes directly to the IRS and no one else.

Make Some Friends
Okay, so we can’t promise this friendship won’t be a little one-sided, but when you need us, we’ll be there! ExpressACAForms sports the best in support and technical teams, working hard gaining the most experience within the industry. Our live assistants, based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, know all the ins and outs of the e-filing process. Whenever you need help, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email! We can be reached by phone at (704) 839-2270 and live chat at www.expressacaforms.com, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, and by email 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com.

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ExpressACAForms.com Reveals Online Software for e-Filing ACA Forms

From the company that brought you such popular software products as UnitWise, ExpressTruckTax, and ExpressTaxFilings comes the revolutionary new software in e-filing: www.ExpressACAForms.com! With ExpressACAForms, you can e-file Forms 1094-B and 1095-B or Forms 1094-C and 1095-C, which are now required to be filed with the IRS under the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ObamaCare).

E-filing saves you time, money, and the hassle of dealing with the IRS. And if that doesn’t sound like the best way to handle your required information returns, then we’re going to guess you’re one of those people who throws out bubble wrap without popping it too.

The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance companies, employers, and some government entities to provide additional tax information about the people to whom they provide health care coverage. So if you’re going to have to fill out these forms anyway, why not do it the easiest and most secure way possible? (Hint: that way is with ExpressACAForms.)

ExpressACAForms turns the process of filling out Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C into an interview-style process; no more trying to make sense of paragraphs full of tax jargon. You can move through the program at your own pace and even save your progress at any point if something else happens to come up.

Filing your ACA information returns shouldn’t have to be complicated, and with ExpressACAForms, it isn’t. We’ve set things up so that even the newest of e-filers can navigate the program with ease. But if you hit a snag or have a question, our friendly support team of experts located in Rock Hill, South Carolina are happy to help. Give us a call Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST at (704) 839-2270 or email us 24/7 at support@expressirsforms.com.

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