From our partners at Think HR:
Do you offer coverage to your employees through a self-insured group health plan? Do you sponsor a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)? If so, do you know whether your plan or HRA is subject to the annual Patient-Centered Research Outcomes Institute (PCORI) fee?
This article answers frequently-asked questions about the PCORI fee, which plans are affected, and what you need to do as the employer sponsor. PCORI fees for 2018 health plans and HRAs are due July 31, 2019.
What is the PCORI fee?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to study clinical effectiveness and health outcomes. To finance the nonprofit institute’s work, a small annual fee is charged on health plans.
Most employers do not have to take any action, because most employer-sponsored health plans are provided through group insurance contracts. For insured plans, the carrier is responsible for the PCORI fee and the employer has no duties.
If, however, you are an employer that self-insures a health plan or an HRA, it is your responsibility to determine whether PCORI applies and, if so, to calculate, report, and pay the fee.
The annual PCORI fee is equal to the average number of lives covered during the health plan year, multiplied by the applicable dollar amount:
- If the plan year end date was between January 1 and September 30, 2018: $2.39.
- If the plan year end date was between October 1 and December 31, 2018: $2.45.
Payment is due by July 31 following the end of the calendar year in which the plan year ended. Therefore, for plan years ending in 2018, payment is due no later than July 31, 2019.
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For additional questions contact your Total Benefit Solutions Inc., account manager at (215)355-2121.