The Federal Regulation
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes a requirement for each individual to either have ”Minimum Essential Coverage” (MEC) for each month or qualify for an exemption when filing their federal income tax return. The University of Oregon is pleased to announce that the UO Student Health Benefits Plan (SHBP) has been recognized by the US. Department of Health and Human Services as MEC beginning with the 2016-17 plan year and continuing in subsequent years. This means that the coverage available through the plan will satisfy the individual coverage requirement in the ACA. The UO is required to report to the IRS those persons that maintained this coverage through the UO SHBP. The IRS also requires the UO to provide a statement of coverage (Federal Tax Form 1095-B) to the primary covered person. As part of this process, the university is required to make three attempts to members for their Social Security Number (SSN) or Tax Identification Number (TIN). Students who are not eligible for a SNN or TIN may ignore the requests for this information; not having a SSN or TIN does not affect UO SHBP coverage. Students are not required to provide us with this information and will not be penalized if they choose not to provide the information requested. If a student does not provide their SSN or TIN, the IRS may not be able to match the 1095-B form with their records to determine that the student was in compliance with the individual shared responsibility provision.
When and How Students Receive Their 1095-B Forms
Each student who is the primary covered person under the plan will be provided a 1095-B form after January 1 each year and prior to the published deadline, as set by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services (which may vary).
What to Do with the 1095-B Form
Form 1095-B is for your personal records to verify you had MEC. The federal penalty for not having health insurance was reduced to zero. You can simply self-attest to your coverage status when filing your tax returns, though residents in states with individual health mandates may want to keep the form for their records. For more information about the form, go to https://www.irs.gov/uac/about-form-1095-b.