Employee Benefit News for School, City and County Employers

ACA changes confuse, frustrate Americans

Written by Valerie Ortiz | Mar 12, 2014 8:51:00 PM

According to The Washington Post, even though government's continual adjustments to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) positively influence Americans' insurance benefits, the delays have started to agitate many people.

"The administration has acted dozens of times over the last year to unilaterally delay or change the law because it was not ready for prime time," House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said in a statement, the Post reported.

Many of the changes were small, but there have also been significant postponements, such as the provision requiring certain employers to provide health benefits to full-time workers. Confusion persists regarding what is in effect, and the Post reported many people are suspicious as to why some parts of the ACA were changed at certain times. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported public and private employers as well as many Americans find it hard to plan for the future when changes are being constantly made to ACA provisions.

"I get to keep my insurance plan if they still have it," Carl Knoblock, district director for the western Pennsylvania office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, told the Post-Gazette. "But, even if they have it, is it going to cost more or the same? Or would it just be better to find a new plan and be done with it?"