The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee is an annual charge imposed on issuers of specified health insurance policies and sponsors of self-insured health plans, established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This fee helps fund the PCORI, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to conducting research that evaluates the effectiveness of medical treatments and healthcare services to improve patient outcomes and inform healthcare decisions. While insurance carriers are responsible for paying the PCORI fee for fully insured plans, employers sponsoring self-insured health plans (including HRAs) are responsible for calculating and remitting the fee to the IRS annually on Form 720 by July 31st, based on the average number of lives covered during the preceding plan year. The fee amount is adjusted annually for inflation.