MN's school district 15 working to comply with ACA

Minnesota's St. Francis School District 15 in Anoka County has been working hard to understand and comply with the new healthcare mandates that go into effect on January 1, 2014.

According to local news source ABC Newspapers, district 15's human resources department is teaming up with the health insurance provider to determine the overall affect the Affordable Care Act will have on healthcare coverage.

The ACA mandates employers with 50 or more full-time workers offer those employees affordable, minimum essential health insurance coverage. 

The team is taking special care to examine upcoming premiums, as health insurance premiums have only increased 1.6 percent over the last couple of years.

However, rising medical cost inflation has been outpacing other inflation over the years, and employee health insurance premiums could increase at least 13.8 percent during the 2013-14 school year. This would align District 15 with the health insurance inflation rate.

The district is weighing its options.

"It could cost the district $1 to $2 million to become compliant with the ACA or $1.5 to $2 million if it does not," said David Lindberg, the school district's human resources director. "If the district complies with the rules to avoid the penalties, it may still result in a tax burden for the district."