ACA: Business as Usual

In the latest attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Senate vote on the “skinny repeal” bill has failed. So what does this mean for schools, cities, and counties? The Affordable Care Act will remain in place for the time being. So every mandate, provision, law, reporting activities, etc. that you are currently following and doing, continue to do so.

One important Affordable Care Act mandate that large employers must continue to follow is the 95% Rule. This mandate is also known as the “employer shared responsibility” or “pay or play” rules. Effective in 2015, it states that all applicable large employers (over 50 full-time equivalent employees) must offer affordable, minimum value health care coverage to “substantially all” their full-time employees. “Substantially all” means at least 95% of their full-time employees.

Large employers that do not offer coverage to their full-time employees (and their dependents) or offers coverage that is either unaffordable or does not provide minimum value may be subject to a penalty, also know as the “shared responsibility payment”. Read our previous article which discusses the possible penalties and how to avoid them.

Here are some additional ACA resources:

• Learn how to remedy your escalating healthcare costs by downloading our whitepaper, Health Insurance Rx.
• Download the 2017 Open Enrollment Checklist to learn what ACA changes may affect your plans for the plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Read more details here.

For additional information, download: FAQs - Employer Shared Responsibility Rules or Employer Shared Responsibility Penalties.