This week, we are sharing a post from the Galen Institute
The COBRA Blog
Affordable Care Act Changes: 41 and Counting
Tags: health care reform, health reform update, affordable care act, ACA changes
This week, our blog article is provided by our friend Jason Cogdill at ProBenefits.
IRS Notices Released This Week Address Individual Mandate & Subsidy Details
On Wednesday, the IRS released two important notices clarifying individual rights and responsibilities in 2014. Both are short, and I recommend reading when you have an opportunity (each is linked in this section). In Notice 2013-42, the IRS provides transition relief from the individual mandate for employees eligible for a group plan that operates on a non-calendar plan year. Prior to this transition relief, an employee in a non-calendar plan that waived coverage at 2013 enrollment could be subject to an individual tax penalty for not having minimum essential coverage during the period between 1/1/14 and the employer’s 2014 renewal. With this ruling, the individual will not be penalized for the lack of coverage prior to employer’s 2014 renewal. In the Notice, the IRS cites as its rationale the qualified transition relief available to employers offering non-calendar year plans as well as the ability of an employer to permit election changes during the exchange open enrollment period. Examples are listed in the notice.
Tags: cobra administration, cobra blog, health care reform, cobraguard
New Survey Reveals Employers Underestimate True Cost of Health Reform Compliance
NEW YORK, February 14, 2013 – The majority of employers seek to avoid cost increases for their group health plans, however, more than half have not put pen to paper to calculate the cost of health care reform, according to a survey released today by the Willis Human Capital Practice, a unit of Willis Group Holdings (NYSE:WSH), the global insurance broker.
Tags: ppaca, health care reform, Health reform, cost of health reform, health reform cost, health care reform compliance
HR Issues: 17 States On Track To Set Up State Exchanges
With the November elections behind us, the way has been paved for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to be fully implemented. For states and federal agencies, that means they have only 11 more months to prepare for millions of uninsured people to start signing up for coverage under the new healthcare exchanges, with open enrollment scheduled to begin October 1, 2013. Coverage under the new exchanges will be effective January 1, 2014, and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 22 million people will buy coverage through the public exchange system by 2016.
Tags: ppaca, cobra administration, COBRA software, health care reform, HR issues