Form 1095-B and Health Coverage Information - Important Health Coverage Information for Your 2015 Taxes

Sep 20, 2026

Upload by Bulrr

January 21, 2016 guidance explains obligations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to verify on federal income tax returns that individuals and dependents had qualifying health coverage, or to report the “individual shared responsibility payment” when coverage was not held and no exemption applies. It describes what Form 1095-B is, why recipients receive it, what information it includes (names, SSN partial data, dates of birth when needed, and months of coverage), and where it should be used in preparing tax filings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Form 1095-B and Health Coverage Information

What is Form 1095-B?

Why are you receiving this form?

What you need to do

January 21, 2016 Form 1095-B and Health Coverage Information Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals are required to verify on their federal income tax return that they and their spouse and/or individuals they claim as dependents, had qualifying health coverage (referred to as “minimum essential coverage”) during the tax year. For any month during the year that the individual or any dependent does not have minimum essential coverage, and does not qualify for a coverage exemption, the individual will need to pay a penalty known as the “individual shared responsibility payment” to the federal government. Individuals must verify their qualifying health coverage or report their shared responsibility payment on line 61 of Form 1040, line 38 of Form 1040A, or line 11 of Form 1040EZ. What is Form 1095-B? On or around February 1, 2016, your employees will receive Form 1095-B because they have Horizon BCBSNJ coverage through you, their fully-insured employer. A sample of the cover letter is attached. Form 1095-B provides information about your employees ’Horizon BCBSNJ health insurance coverage to help them properly prepare their tax return for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) . Form 1095-B includes the following information for your employees and, if applicable, their covered dependents: • Name(s) • Last four digits of the Social Security Number(s) (SSN) • Date(s) of birth (if SSN not available) • Months of health insurance coverage with Horizon BCBSNJ from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 Form 1095-B is informational and is issued to help your employees in complying with their responsibilities under the ACA; it does not need to be attached to their federal income tax return. If your employees think their information is incorrect, please instruct them to call Member Services at the number on the back of their member ID card. (Continues) Products and policies may be provided by Horizon Insurance Company and services and products may be provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey or Horizon Healthcare of New Jersey, Inc., each an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Communications are issued by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey in its capacity as administrator of programs and provider relations for all its companies. The Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The Horizon® name and symbols are registered marks of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. © 2016 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. Three Penn Plaza East, Newark, New Jersey 07105-‐2200. Horizon BCBSNJ will report to the IRS the months that your employees and their covered dependentshad qualifying health coverage through Horizon BCBSNJ. Horizon BCBSNJ can only provide your employees with the months that they and their qualified dependents had fully-insured Horizon BCBSNJ coverage. If, at any time during the year, your employee had coverage through a different employer or insurer, they will receive additional forms from that employer or insurer. If your employee bought their coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace at any time in 2015, they will receive Form 1095-A from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) . This information should not be construed as tax or legal advice. Questions your employees may have about their specific circumstances should be referred to their tax or legal professional. If you have questions, please contact me. Three Penn Plaza East Newark, NJ 07105-2200 [HorizonBlue.com](HorizonBlue.com) Re: Form 1095-B – Important Health Coverage Information for Your 2015 Taxes Dear Valued Member: Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you are required to verify on your federal income tax return that you, and your spouse and/or individuals you claim as dependents, had qualifying health coverage (referred to as “minimum essential coverage”) for

FAQs

What does the Affordable Care Act require on a federal income tax return?

Individuals must verify they and applicable dependents had qualifying health coverage during the tax year, or report the “individual shared responsibility payment” if coverage was missing and no exemption applies.

Why will employees or members receive Form 1095-B?

They receive Form 1095-B to help report their Horizon BCBSNJ coverage information for 2015 when coverage was provided through an employer or obtained outside the Health Insurance Marketplace.

What information is included in Form 1095-B?

Form 1095-B includes names, last four digits of SSNs (and dates of birth when SSNs are not available), and the months of health insurance coverage from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015.

Sep 20, 2026

Upload by Bulrr