The U.S. government has announced that the employer mandate, one of the most significant portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), will not be enforced until 2015. Under the provision, companies with 50 or more full-time employees would have faced fines of up to $3,000 per employee if they didn't offer their employees affordable health insurance. The one year delay is designed to accomplish … [Read more...]

A new poll released Tuesday is covered by a few national sources, mainly because its implications underscore the Obama Administration's struggles with implementing the Affordable Care Act. The poll found widespread confusion and misinformation about the law across the US. For example, over 40% of those surveyed believed the ACA was no longer law. The Washington Post (5/1, Kliff) "Wonkblog" … [Read more...]

Though President Obama had planned to unveil the new, shorter Affordable Care Act application form during his press conference Tuesday, other comments he made about the law receive much more attention in the national papers Wednesday. In response to questions about whether implementation of the ACA will turn into a "train wreck," as Senator Max Baucus predicted recently, Obama acknowledged that … [Read more...]

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius faced Congress again Thursday, this time speaking before a House Oversight Committee health panel. She faced questions regarding so-called "rate shock" and Medicaid expansion, as well as more fall out from last week's "train wreck" comment. Beyond that, the New York Times (4/26, Pear, Subscription Publication) reports that during a meeting with White House officials … [Read more...]

The New Orleans Times-Picayune (4/26, Alpert) reports that Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-Baton Rouge) "introduced legislation Thursday that would require President Barack Obama and his cabinet to use the health care exchanges being created under the Affordable Care Act to help people purchase affordable insurance." The move follows "news reports of behind-the-scenes discussions about exempting Congress and … [Read more...]

On April 23, 2013, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Treasury issued Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding implementation of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). What's New?  Effective January 1, 2014, the SBC will need to state whether the plan provides "minimum essential coverage" … [Read more...]

Click here to use the Health Care Reform Calculator … [Read more...]

The AP (3/12, Alonso-Zaldivar) reports that applying for benefits under the Affordable Care Act "could be as daunting as doing your taxes." The AP notes, "Drafts of the paper application and a 60-page description of the online version were quietly posted online by the Health and Human Services Department, seeking feedback from industry and consumer groups. Those materials, along with a recent HHS … [Read more...]

IRS transitional relief requires only employers issuing 250 or more W-2s for the previous tax year to report the cost of employer-provided health care coverage in box 12 of employee W-2s. Employers issuing less than 250 W-2s for the previous tax year do not have to comply with this requirement at the present time. Any IRS guidance that expands this reporting requirement to groups issuing under 250 … [Read more...]

4-Minute Strength Training During Commercials Get off the couch and boost your brainpower A known metabolism jump-starter, resistance training just once a week can improve your ability to resolve conflicts and focus your attention, a Canadian study has found. Luckily, you don't need the gym; just use your own body weight. Do as many push-ups or crunches as you can during commercials while … [Read more...]