Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), or colloquially as “Obamacare,” was signed into law in March of 2010 with the goal of increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance for millions of Americans.
While the Act’s employer shared responsibility payments will not apply until 2015, and in some cases, not until 2016, there are provisions and safe harbors to consider and decisions that can be made now that may help businesses, employees and a business’s bottom line. Further, there are many unintended consequences arising out of the ACA that business owners, both large and small, need to consider when administering health care arrangements.
We are carefully following the developments associated with the roll-out of ACA and are providing counsel to business owners and other professionals, helping them to address compliance issues, evaluate exposure to penalties and other tax issues as well as planning strategically for the future.
Affordable Care Act Articles
Closing Protection Letters — Paying for an Honest Deal
Have you ever wondered why you had to pay a charge for an "honest" transaction? Kind of gets you wondering, "What's next?" That question comes up in real estate closings, where a charge regularly appears for a "closing protection letter." Just what is a closing...
Celebrating 800 Years of Magna Carta, The Bill of Rights’ Ancestor
Magna Carta, the "Great Charter," celebrates its 800th Anniversary today. Drafted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton, and a cadre of the most powerful barons of England, Magna Carta was sealed by King John to end a civil war between the Roman Catholic...
June 30, ACA Deadline Looming for Small Employers to Avoid $100-per-Day-per-Employee Penalties
Does your business or employer pay for, or reimburse employees for, individual health insurance coverage? Did you know that as a result of the Affordable Care Act, such arrangements were prohibited beginning January 1, 2014? Did you know that more-than-2% shareholders...
EEOC Increases Scrutiny of Criminal Background Checks for Job Applicants
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently issued a Strategic Enforcement Plan which lists as one of its priorities "Eliminating Barriers in Recruitment and Hiring." This priority includes legal challenges to policies and practices that exclude...
