healthcare reform
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has updated its Questions and Answers website in regards to the Employer Mandate, and it appears they have started to send initial notices to employers who are subject to a penalty for the 2015 year (generally, this will be employers with 100 or more employees since transition relief was available in 2015 to employers with 50-99 employees).
The original version of this article was published on January 15, 2016. It has been updated annualy to account for inflationary changes.
Posted November 1st, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
As you may have heard, the Trump administration discontinued funding for the cost-sharing reduction subsidies (CSR subsidies). Critics of this move believe it will create instability in the Exchange and individual marketplaces. Political efforts to restore the CSR subsidies are underway, but it appears Republican leadership has some demands as part of those restoration efforts.
Posted October 10th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires most health insurance plans to cover in-network preventive care at 100%, including coverage for prescribed contraceptives available to women. This has sparked some controversy with organizations who have a religious objection to the use of contraceptives. The Obama administration addressed this controversy by doing the following:
- Exempted group health plans offered by churches and houses of worship from providing coverage for contraceptives if there was a religious objection.
Posted September 26th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Spoiler Alert: The answer is no.
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) have been spearheading efforts to repeal and replace substantial parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). While there are many changes that the so-called “Graham-Cassidy” bill would make to the ACA, there are really three main themes that stand out:
Posted September 5th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
No, this article is not about the potential of the age rating ratio changing from 3:1 to 5:1. It’s about a different change that is actually going to happen in the individual and small group markets in 2018.
First, what is the age rating ratio?
Posted August 30th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
In September, Senators will return to Washington D.C. from their August recess. Almost immediately, they’ll begin taking up health care (again), but this time Democrats and Republicans will jointly consider changes.
Posted August 8th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
We all know that efforts by the Republican party to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have failed up to this point. It’s unknown what healthcare legislation, if any, will ever get through both chambers of Congress and into the hands of President Donald Trump to sign into law. That will remain a mystery for the foreseeable future, but passing a law isn’t the only way the ACA can be altered. There is also regulatory action that can occur.
Posted July 28th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Well, after several months of debate, it appears you can keep your Obamacare plan and everything else that comes along with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
On Tuesday, the Senate voted favorably on a motion to proceed with the debate over a repeal and/or replacement of the ACA. This was a significant procedural step necessary to pass a bill in the Senate.
Posted July 24th, 2017 in Producers, Employers, Individuals
Senate Republicans may vote as early as Tuesday on a bill that would repeal and replace key parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but there are still a couple of unknowns.
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