AHCA Pulled: Where Public Sector Employers Go from Here

As you well know, the proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA) was pulled in its entirety and the vote cancelled after a failure to unify Republican support for the bill. So what does this mean for school, city and county employers? It means you must continue to comply with all the ACA provisions that apply to your organization.

Applicable Large Employers (ALE)

If you haven’t already done this, the deadline to determine your ALE status remains in effect, and electronic filing (6055 & 6056) is required at the end of this week on March 31, 2017. If you had fewer than 50 full-time employees on average during the prior year, then you are not considered an ALE for the current calendar year. If you had at least 50 full-time employees on average during the prior year, you are considered an ALE for the current calendar year.

New 2017 ACA Guidelines

• Out-of-pocket and deductible maximums: IRS 2017 limits
• Wellness program health risk assessment: New EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) rules 

SBC (Summary of Benefits and Coverage) Disclosures

• There is a new template
• Fully-insured groups: your health insurance carrier should be providing the SBC to your employees
• Self-insured groups: check with your TPA

Additional Notices

There may be additional enrollment or annual notices you need to distribute. See our 2017 Open Enrollment Checklist for more information.