Our technical support team has been speaking to users who have made minor mistakes with respect to ACA reporting and I thought this quick blog post might be helpful.
Below are tips to review for your 1094/1095C reporting.
In order to access and process the 1094C file and 1095C forms the user MUST have the following software requirements:
- .NET Framework version 4.5.1 or higher AND Windows Server.2008 (if using Terminal Server) or higher***
- SCREEN RESOLUTION – Varies with monitors, example 1680×1050 OR 1920×1080 or greater are required in order to view the entire COATS ACA Year-End Report Form Windows.
Additionally:
- The user MUST create the 1094 FIRST prior to ANY items in the 1095C. To do so, they click CREATE NEW SUBMISSION on the bottom right lower portion of the 1094C window.
- If the user entered Company information prior to creating the submission file, once they create a NEW submission, this will be erased and will need to be entered. CREATE THE SUBMISSION FIRST
- If the user tries to create a 1095c without creating a 1094c submission the system WILL error.
- PAY/REPORT ONLY users will need to check the “Company has elected the Pay Option” under the Employer Information tab.
- REMEMBER Versions 4.7.4 and 4.0 gave the user the ability to enter the Line 16, 2 indicator codes, the START PLAN Month, the WAITING period, if the plan was MEC, and if the plan as Self-Insured. These need to be entered and reviewed as they are used when creating the 1095C forms and 1095C file. If data not entered, the 1095C forms cannot populate and may error.
- Quick glance/overview of all 1095C to ensure data accuracy PRIOR to make manual edits. Review a few DECLINED, ENROLLED, Codes etc. Often clients need to go back to the Employees ACA Windows and fix the data and then regenerate all 1095c forms. If they start first on manually editing and then realize; all that work is wasted. Reviewing and editing ACA Window data prevents the user from having to manually edit EACH 1095C form for Line 14, possibly 15, and Line 16 columns.
- STOP COVERAGE does NOT mean when the employee ended assignments. STOP COVERAGE means the insurance carrier or the employee notified the client that they stopped their insurance coverage. If the user entered dates in STOP COVERAGE as end date of assignment, this needs to be removed as well as the comment below.
- DECLINED users MUST HAVE A PLAN SELECTED in order for the Line 14 and Line 16 to accurate populate the 1095C forms. If you have only marked DECLINED in the ACA Window of the Employees you will need to return to each employee’s window to update WHICH plan they declined. (The user can access Reports/ACA/ACA Eligibility Tracking, uncheck all boxes, check DECLINED, RELOAD and each Declined employee appears. Clicking the Paper/pencil icon takes the employee directly to that employees ACA window.)
We understand the ACA Year-End Documentation is 22 pages; that beats the 6,000 page law.
We recommend reviewing the entire document prior to entering the ACA/Year End Window.
As always Technical Support is here to help.
For more information, see the ACA end-of-year white paper
Also be sure to review the new ACA 1094/1095C Deadlines