Originally posted by Bill Olson on the United Benefit Advisors blog
On July 2, 2013 the Department of the Treasury and the White House announced delaying a major component of the Affordable Care Act — the Pay or Play penalty, or “employer mandate,” as well as employer reporting requirements.
United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nation’s leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, has already issued a summary of the decision, “Four Things You Should know About the Employer Mandate Delay” that covers:
1) What’s Been Delayed; 2) What’s Still Required; 3) What other PPACA requirements must employers meet; 4) What’s Next?
Additionally, UBA has experts available to discuss the immediate and future impact of this news on employers and the insurance industry.
View the Employer Mandate Delay Summary at http://getsix.in/mEqAh
Thom Mangan, CEO of UBA speculates, “The hospitality, retail and service industry, who have so many hourly and part time workers, were just handed a huge gift with this 12-month reprieve. In order to continue to hold the cost down of their products, they may put off even offering the “bronze” level of benefits until 2015.”
“There are 6 million employers in the United States of which 4.7 million have fewer than 50 employees,” continues Mangan. “While this is a big deal for employers with a high number of part time and hourly workers, the major components of the law are still going to impact 80 percent of employer groups in our nation.“
“Unfortunately, there are more questions left unanswered than answered,” says Linda Rowings, UBA Compliance Director. “For instance, if an employer is not required to report eligibility, how will it affect determination of employee eligibility for subsidies?”
Mark Gaunya, Principal of Borislow Insurance, a UBA Partner Firm, shares his concerns: “With the employer mandate now on hold until 2015 and the individual mandate still in effect, how will the exchanges know who is eligible for subsidy and who isn’t? Left unchecked, this process will be a breeding ground for fraud and abuse. The law is supposed to be a shared responsibility model which means all parts must work together. If delay is necessary on one leg of the financial stool, then the other legs should be delayed as well.”
If you are interested in scheduling an interview with a UBA expert, please contact: Carina Sammartino, 760-331-3547, csammartino@fishervista.com
