15 Nov Affordable Care Act: Will Your Group Health Plan be “Affordable” in 2022?

Posted at 17:15h in 2021, Affordable Care Act, Commercial Insurance, Group Benefits, Health Insurance

By Anita Byer, Setnor Byer Insurance & Risk The IRS announced that the Affordable Care Act’s affordability threshold for employer-sponsored group health plans will be 9.61 percent in 2022. Employers with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees (Applicable Large Employers or ALEs) must recognize...

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10 Oct Affordable Care Act: Will Your Group Health Plan be Affordable in 2019?

Posted at 17:15h in Affordable Care Act, Commercial Insurance, Employee Benefits, Health Insurance

Unlike the Individual Mandate, the Affordable Care Act’s Employer Mandate isn’t going anywhere in 2019. Employers with 50 or more full-time and full-time equivalent employees will still have to offer “affordable” health coverage to avoid ACA penalties. But, there is a sliver of good news....

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03 Aug Gender Identity and Sex Stereotyping Under the Affordable Care Act

Posted at 18:43h in Group Benefits, Health Insurance, Human Resources

Did you know that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contains a civil rights provision? The ACA prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in certain health programs and activities. Despite becoming law in 2010, final implementation rules were...

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24 Feb Is Telemedicine Right for Your Business?

Posted at 16:27h in Group Benefits, Health Insurance

Industry experts estimate that 80% of employers will offer telemedicine by 2018. So what exactly is this trending health care benefit? Well, telemedicine generally refers to the practice of using telecommunications technologies (phone, Internet, etc.) to diagnose and treat patients, and in case you haven't...

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03 Feb Is Your Group Health Plan Considered ‘Affordable’ under the ACA?

Posted at 14:30h in Affordable Care Act, Group Benefits, Health Insurance

Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) are generally employers that average at least 50 full-time and full-time equivalent employees. Under the Affordable Care Act, ALEs can either provide health insurance coverage to employees or pay a penalty. To avoid a penalty, ALEs must offer health coverage to...

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12 Jun Is Telemedicine Right For You?

Posted at 14:29h in Employee Benefits, Group Benefits, Health Insurance

Telemedicine generally refers to the practice of using telecommunications technologies (phone, Internet, etc.) to diagnose and treat patients, and in case you haven't noticed, it's come a long way. Consider this: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services describes telemedicine as a cost-effective alternative to...

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08 Apr Small Group Health Premiums under the Affordable Care Act

Posted at 13:28h in Affordable Care Act, Group Benefits, Health Insurance

Controlling health insurance premiums was a primary goal of health care reform. Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), small group health insurers could vary premiums for a number of reasons, such as a group's overall health status, size, age, gender, history or industry. As a...

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04 Mar Supreme Court to Rule on Fate of the Affordable Care Act…Again

Posted at 14:08h in Health Insurance

Once again, the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rests with the United States Supreme Court. Though the constitutionality of the ACA isn't being challenged in King v. Burwell, the stakes may be just as high. This case involves the interpretation and applicability of...

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28 Jan Are You Ready for the New Affordable Care Act Reporting Requirements?

Posted at 13:44h in Health Insurance, Labor & Employment Law

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees to file information returns with the Internal Revenue Service and provide statements to their full-time employees about employer-offered health insurance coverage. This information will be used...

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10 Dec Understanding Excepted Benefits Under the Affordable Care Act

Posted at 20:26h in Employee Benefits, Health Insurance

Many employers offer benefits packages that provide employees with more than just health insurance coverage. Though some of these benefits, like pre-paid legal service plans, are clearly not health-related, others may provide employees with some health-related benefits. Does this mean they are subject to the...

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