Â鶹ŮÓÅ

As we shift into the new year, we're gearing up for an onslaught of new paperwork that is essential for filing your 2014 tax return. One brand-new piece of paper: Form 1095-A, the Health Insurance Marketplace Statement. If you obtained coverage under Obamacare last year, you need Form 1095-A to file your tax return for 2014. The form is to be sent by Jan. 31, but you're not going to be able to file your taxes without it. It may seem early to be talking about taxes, but this tax season could be a mess, thanks in part to some complicated tax rules involving the Affordable Care Act. (Tompor, 1/6)

The push to repeal the medical device tax already has bipartisan support, and it is expected to be one of the first issues taken up by Congress this year. The repeal of the 2.3 percent excise tax, imposed under the Affordable Care Act, is one of the priorities of the Republican-led Congress as lawmakers aim to chip away at parts of the health-care law. We don’t intend to single out Thune. He is among a chorus of lawmakers — Democrat and Republican — who want to repeal the tax, and among many who are using the job-loss claim as one of the reasons to get rid of it ... We don’t intend to single out Thune. He is among a chorus of lawmakers — Democrat and Republican — who want to repeal the tax, and among many who are using the job-loss claim as one of the reasons to get rid of it. (Ye Hee Lee, 1/7)

Kaiser Health News staff writer Phil Galewitz reports: "The Gold ‘N Silver Inn in Reno, Nev., has long offered health coverage to its employees — but many of the cooks, dishwashers and waiters who make close to minimum wage can’t afford the $100 monthly premium. Last January, when Nevada became one of more than two dozen states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, 10 of the diner’s 55 employees qualified for the government insurance program for low-income Americans. None of them realized it, however, until the family-run restaurant hired BeneStream, a New York-based start-up funded partly by the Ford Foundation." (Galewitz, 1/7)

A company in the Grand Rapids area is not required to provide employee health insurance for birth control as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision. A federal judge says Autocam is covered by the court's decision last year in the Hobby Lobby case. Some private employers can avoid the contraceptive requirement in the Affordable Care Act. Autocam, based in Kentwood, makes auto parts and medical supplies. It is owned by the family of chief executive John Kennedy, a Roman Catholic who opposes contraception and abortion. (1/7)