“The Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains a total of 91 provisions, bringing change to the insurance market and impacting the type of coverage employers offer their employees.
“Many of the upcoming ACA provisions depend on the size of your employee population,” says Marty Hauser, CEO of SummaCare, Inc. “Employers need to understand these provisions, as they will likely determine what kind of coverage you offer your employees.”
Smart Business spoke to Hauser about how some key provisions impact employers.
What are some provisions impacting all employer groups?
Although some provisions of the ACA are based on the number of employees an employer has, others apply to all employer groups, regardless of size. These provisions include, but are not limited to, guaranteed issue and renewal of health insurance plans, no pre-existing condition exclusion, employer notification of the health insurance marketplaces and an increase to the maximum allowable reward for health-contingent wellness programs.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2013, employers will be required to notify employees of the availability of the health insurance marketplace, formerly known as exchanges. The marketplace is an online portal that will allow consumers and employers to find and compare different health insurance options. Employers must provide employees, regardless of plan enrollment status or part-time or full-time employment status, a written notice informing them of their coverage options. The Department of Labor (DOL) has created three different model notices for employers to communicate this information to employees, and these are available on the DOL’s website.
Another provision impacting all employer groups is the increase to the maximum allowable reward for health-contingent wellness programs from 20 to 30 percent of the cost of coverage. The program must meet five regulatory requirements to qualify as a health-contingent wellness program.
What are some provisions impacting small group employers?
Beginning in 2014, the marketplace will operate a Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, that offers choices when it comes to purchasing health insurance for small group employers — with up to 50 employees in 2014 and increasing to 100 employees in 2016 — and their employees.
Through the SHOP, employers will eventually be able to offer employees a variety of Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) from different carriers, and employees can choose the plan that fits their needs and their budget. In 2014, however, small group employers will be limited to offering only one QHP to their employees, as the provision allowing choices between multiple carriers has been delayed until 2015.
In addition to the availability of the SHOP, small group employers with fewer than 25 full-time employees, or a combination of full-time and part-time employees, may be eligible for a health insurance tax credit in 2014 if they offer insurance through the SHOP and meet other criteria, such as the average wages of employees must be less than $50,000, and the employer must pay at least half of the insurance premium.
What are some provisions impacting large group employers?
Effective Jan. 1, 2014, employers that employ an average of at least 51 full-time employees are required to offer employees and their dependents an employer-sponsored plan or the employer pays a penalty, often referred to as ‘pay or play.’
This provision has specific criteria meant to not only define and determine the number of employees in the group, but also to confirm the employer is providing affordable, minimum essential coverage. Part-time employees count toward the calculation of full-time equivalent employees, and there is no penalty if affordable coverage is offered.
If an employer doesn’t provide adequate health insurance to its employees, the employer will be required to pay a penalty if its employees receive premium tax credits to buy their own insurance. The penalties will be $2,000 per full-time employee beyond the employer’s first 30 workers. Penalties paid by the employer will be used to offset the cost of the tax credits.”