What plans are exempt from the ACA?
Commentary: Expatriate health plans are here are key definitions and relief as well as the recent IRS guidance on calculations for the 2014 and 2015 fee years.
Healthcare reform
3 possible outcomes for the Cadillac tax and how to prepare for them
Brokers not only need to determine which clients might be subjected to the tax, but should also engage with various levels of government if they wish to have an impact on its future.
Multi-carrier platform eclipses Calif. SHOP
Covered Californias Small Employer Health Options Program (SHOP) is growing, but a private-sector competitor to the state-run HIX is growing even faster.
Benefits Think A quarter of large employers in tough spot with ACA forms
Commentary: Countless conversations with brokers struggling with 6055 and 6056 concerns show many find their applicable large employer clients are challenged to find practical solution for this reporting, says EmployeeTechs Michael Weiskirch.
Michael Weiskirch
Employee Tech
State HIX execs say brokers are key to future SHOP success
The Affordable Care Acts Small Business Health Options Program will not succeed without the broker community, the heads of three state-run exchanges said at a HIX policy conference.
Employers procrastinating on ACA recordkeeping compliance
Only 10% of some 480 employers in 36 industries responding to a recent poll have implemented an in-house or outsourced solution to comply with Affordable Care Act reporting requirements.
Senate probes ACA tax credit problems
The head of a Senate investigative subcommittee said he plans to look into problems with the health insurance marketplaces set up for the Affordable Care Act that forced many taxpayers to owe some of the tax credit money they had received for buying health insurance.
New ad campaign casts ACA as life-saver
A new $250,000 national advertising campaign running on several popular political TV programs casts the Affordable Care Act as a positive force that is saving lives. It also seeks to counteract continued threats of repeal or scaling back the landmark legislation.
GOP silly to release post-ruling plan before King v. Burwell decision
It is silly for Republicans to put together a response to the Supreme Courts expected June ruling on the legality of subsides in the federal health care exchange, the health policy director at the CATO Institute, which helped launch the lawsuit, said Monday.
Healthcare.gov CEO: Market runs risk of offering too much choice
Healthcare.gov runs the risk of offering too many health plan choices and the opportunity exists to be able to make it easier for consumers to compare coverage, the websites CEO, Kevin Counihan, said Monday.
How advisers can help employers with ACA reporting requirements
Most employers have still not determined how they will comply with complex ACA reporting requirements that began Jan. 1. Benefit brokers and consultants should be discussing the requirements and the solutions with their employer clients, experts say.
Premium reimbursement is a costly violation
Commentary: Small employers that reimburse employees or pay directly for all or part of their health coverage have a short window to cease this practice, or they will be subject to an expensive excise tax.
Senate budget allows Republicans to seek ACA repeal
The U.S. Congress adopted a budget that will allow Republicans to bypass Democrats and send a repeal or revision of President Barack Obamas landmark 2010 health-care law to his desk.
As risk tolerance rises, more employers consider self-funding
Smaller companies and non-profits are among the organizations that are contemplating a switch in how they manage employee benefits.
Employer struggles with ACA implementation enter new phase
Discussion about the ACA has moved from understanding it to implementing it, but employers and their advisers continue to meet challenges in doing so.
Politicians agree on Cadillac tax repeal
Democrats and Republicans support repealing the tax, which will affect a disproportionate number of Americans, and is likely to miss its revenue projections, experts say.
Is Assurant Health an ACA casualty?
Assurant Health announced this week it will be sold or shut down by the end of 2016, a move the parent company attributes to million-dollar losses as a result of the ACA.
Health insurers skirt ACA fee
The Internal Revenue Service needs to do better at ensuring that health insurance policy issuers and self-insured plan sponsors pay a fee required under the Affordable Care Act known as the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research fee, according to a new government report.
Benefits Think Real-time reporting critical to ACA administration, compliance
The Affordable Care Act brings new administrative complexity to employers offering health plans, making real-time reporting even more critical.
Public exchanges reported to be more satisfying than employer-sponsored coverage
Health insurance plans purchased through public health care exchanges often generate levels of member satisfaction higher than plans obtained through employers, according to a J.D. Power study.