U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) cheered approval from the U.S. Senate on Dec. 10 of two bipartisan bills he supported to remove certain healthcare reporting requirements.
Both the Employer Reporting Improvement Act, H.R. 3801, and the Paperwork Burden Reduction Act, H.R. 3797, now head to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
“Under current law, overreaching compliance requirements create uncertainty and stress for employers in Indiana and across the nation,” Sen. Young said. “Our bipartisan bills will help reduce these unnecessary burdens and increase efficiency.”
Sen. Young in November 2023 cosponsored the Senate’s version of H.R. 3801, which is the same-named S. 3204, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). The bill would modify provisions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that require employers and health insurance providers to prepare tax forms showing proof of minimum essential coverage (1095-B and 1095-C tax forms).
The bill would modernize communication by allowing employers to electronically file certain documents and clarify that the IRS can accept full names and dates of birth in lieu of dependents’ and spouses’ Social Security numbers, among other provisions.
Sen. Warner in November 2023 cosponsored his chamber’s version of H.R. 3797, the same-named S. 3202, which would reduce the number of physical forms that employers have to mail to employees as part of complying with the ACA by codifying the current IRS policy to allow the 1095-B and 1095-C to be provided electronically.
“These two pieces of legislation will make needed adjustments to modernize and streamline ACA reporting requirements to ensure that they don’t needlessly compromise the privacy of Americans or get in the way of their access to health care,” said Sen. Warner. “I’m proud to have introduced these pieces of legislation and look forward to seeing them signed by President Biden.”
Both bills were approved on June 21 by the U.S. House of Representatives before heading to the Senate for action.