{"id":6872,"date":"2013-12-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-12-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/legally-speaking-healthcare-deadlines-approach-act-now\/"},"modified":"2013-12-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-12-01T00:00:00","slug":"legally-speaking-healthcare-deadlines-approach-act-now","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/legally-speaking-healthcare-deadlines-approach-act-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Legally Speaking: Healthcare Deadlines Approach—Act Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

Early Renewal Strategy<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

One of the most
\nimportant provisions of the new healthcare law, the Patient Protection and
\nAffordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or
\n“Obamacare,” will take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1,
\n2014 for small employers (those with fewer than 50 employees). These provisions
\nare known as the community rating restrictions, and there is some concern that
\nthey may cause an increase in premiums. Employers may wish to renew their
\nexisting health insurance policies by the end of 2013 to avoid potentially
\nhigher costs. Here are some resources to help you consider your company’s
\noptions<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Currently, insurance companies
\nlook at a number of factors when developing premiums. As a result, younger,
\nhealthier groups often pay less than older, sicker groups. For plan years
\nbeginning on or after January 1, 2014, insurance carriers can no longer look at
\nthose factors when setting rates. Thus, many small employers may see large
\npremium increases, though certain small employers with older workforces may
\nactually see rates go down.<\/p>\n

Due to the new rules, it makes
\nsense to consider an early renewal strategy as soon as possible. Small businesses
\nshould contact their insurance brokers to discuss their healthcare plans and
\nconsider renewing their current plan by the end of the year, which will allow
\nthem to avoid the new community rating rules for a year. The article “Small
\nBusinesses Race to Renew Health Plans Early<\/i>” by Jayne O’Donnell from USA
\nToday<\/i> discusses early renewal strategies. It is available at:\u00a0 <\/p>\n


\nwww.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/nation\/2013\/11\/03\/small–business–early–renewal–affordable–care–act\/3360851\/<\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Marketplace Notices for New Hires<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The government has released model notices that
\nemployers can use to notify employees about the new Health Insurance
\nMarketplace, also known as the healthcare exchange. Citizens can apply for healthcare coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace, which may
\npotentially offer lower costs to certain individuals. The initial mandatory notices were to be issued by employers by October 1, 2013. In addition, almost
\nall employers are required to distribute such notices to new employees within
\n14 days of hire. An article by Steven Friedman and Ilyse Schuman, “What Do
\nEmployers Need to Know About the ACA Marketplace Notices?<\/i>” from Littler.com,<\/i>
\ngives more information about the notice requirements. Find it at:<\/p>\n


\nwww.littler.com\/publication–press\/publication\/what–do–employers–need–know–about–aca–marketplace–notices<\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The notices must be distributed
\nto all employees—even those who are not eligible for a health plan (i.e.,
\npart–time employees). The government’s notices, along with frequently asked
\nquestions about notice requirements, can be found at the Department of Labor’s
\n(DOL’s) website: <\/p>\n

www.dol.gov\/ebsa\/faqs\/faq–noticeofcoverageoptions.html<\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

New COBRA Notices<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

In addition to releasing the new marketplace
\nnotices, the government also released revised COBRA notices. Although the
\nchanges are relatively minor, employers should update their COBRA notices to
\ninclude the new language. Roberta Chevlowe’s article “DOL Updates Model
\nCOBRA Notice in Light of Health Care Reform” (www.jdsupra.com)<\/i> discusses
\nthe revised notices and includes links to the new model notices. The full
\narticle can be found at:<\/p>\n

www.jdsupra.com\/legalnews\/dol–updates–model–cobra–notice–in–light–57231\/<\/a>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

The new language in the updated
\nnotices informs readers about the Health Insurance Marketplace, which may
\nencourage them to look for healthcare coverage through the Health Insurance
\nMarketplace rather than electing COBRA coverage under an employer’s plan. Over
\ntime, this approach could potentially save employers money.<\/p>\n

Employer Mandate Penalty Postponed 1 Year, But
\nNot the Tracking Requirement<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

The employer mandate (“play or pay” rules) have
\nbeen postponed for a year. The employer mandate requires large employers (those
\nwith 50 or more employees) to offer quality\/affordable coverage to full–time
\nemployees (those working at least 30 hours per week), or pay a penalty.
\nAlthough the penalties have been postponed until 2015, the tracking
\nrequirements have been implemented. Employers need to\u00a0 keep track of employees’
\nhours to see if they need to offer employees coverage starting in 2015. The
\nrules are extremely complex. A downloadable PDF, “Health Care Reform Pay or
\nPlay Guide<\/i>” by lawyer John Barlament of Quarles & Brady LLP, explains
\nthe rules in detail.<\/p>\n

www.quarles.com\/files\/Uploads\/Documents\/Pay%20or%20Play%20012813.pdf<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Employers should
\ncheck with their payroll company or software vendor to see if they can help
\nwith the process of tracking hours. It is important that all employers start
\nthis process immediately.<\/p>\n

Predictions for the Future<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

While no one
\ncan tell what the future may hold, the Affordable Care Act has been passed by
\nCongress and upheld by the Supreme Court, so it is unlikely to be repealed.
\nEmployers should do their best to prepare for the new regulations and work with
\ntheir insurance brokers to create a healthcare strategy that works best for
\ntheir businesses and employees.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Early Renewal Strategy One of the most important provisions of the new healthcare law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare,” will take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014 for small employers (those with fewer than 50 employees). These provisions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":[209],"featured_media":0,"template":"","categories":[21,32],"class_list":["post-6872","articles","type-articles","status-publish","hentry","category-business-managment","category-health-and-safety","author-paul-routh"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLegally Speaking: Healthcare Deadlines Approach—Act Now - Insulation Outlook Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/insulation.org\/io\/articles\/legally-speaking-healthcare-deadlines-approach-act-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Legally Speaking: Healthcare Deadlines Approach—Act Now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Early Renewal Strategy One of the most important provisions of the new healthcare law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or “Obamacare,” will take effect for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2014 for small employers (those with fewer than 50 employees). 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