The IRS released the updated Form 720 for the second quarter of 2026 with updated dates and fees on Line 133 for reporting the PCORI fee.

Employers who sponsored self-funded or level funded medical plans that ended sometime during 2025 are required to report and pay the ACA Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee no later than July 31, 2026. Form 720 should be filed for the 2nd quarter ending June 30th, 2026.

PCORI Basics

General summary information for PCORI fees can be found on the IRS website.

The PCORI fee applies to most group health plans, including retiree-only plans, but not to excepted benefits. The IRS published a chart that describes the different types of plans subject to the fee.

Health insurance carriers pay the fee on behalf of fully insured plans, but employers are responsible for reporting and paying the fee for any self-funded or level funded group health plans, including HRAs.

The fee is paid for self-funded or level funded group health plans using quarterly excise tax Form 720, Line 133(c) and (d), and must be paid by July 31st of the year following the last day of the plan year.

The PCORI fee should be reported in the 2nd quarter of the calendar year following the end of the plan year, rather than filing sooner, to avoid any confusion for the IRS over which plan year the reporting applies to. If any corrections need to be made for prior years, use Form 720X.

Fee Amount

Payment amounts due in 2026 will differ based on the employer’s plan year. The fees due in July 2026 are as follows:

• $3.47 per covered life for plan years ending in January – September 2025.
• $3.84 per covered life for plan years ending in October – December 2025.

Resources

• PCORI Fee Section of the Compliance Library
• PCORI Fee Brief

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