Highmark has been and will continue to reach out to select members for whom it does not have a Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) on file in preparation to meet a 2016 Affordable Care Act requirement regarding minimum essential coverage.
The letter sent to contract holders specifies which members on their plan for whom Highmark is missing SSNs or TINs.
In recent years, Highmark, like many insurers, has moved away from using SSNs or TINs as identification numbers and, instead, has issued Unique Member Identification numbers. That will not change.
However, beginning in January 2016, the Affordable Care Act will require Highmark to issue a 1095-B tax form to many of our members, and to report this information to the IRS as proof that the member had minimum essential health care coverage, as required by the federal government.
The 1095-B form contains information that members may need to file their tax returns and avoid any penalties that may apply for people who don’t have minimum essential health care coverage. To issue that form, Highmark needs SSNs or TINs for all impacted members (contract holders and their covered dependents).