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
Here’s a Riddle: What Takes More Than a Minute, But Less Than a Minute to Lose?
Why, it's your homeowner's association, condominium or subdivision minutes! Unlike earlier articles we have written about the necessity to memorialize and document actions taken by condominium and subdivision boards and their constituent members, there is an equally...
$1,000 Fine per Day for Misclassifying Illinois Employees Upheld by State’s Highest Court
The Illinois Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of the Illinois Employee Classification Act, which addresses the practice of misclassifying employees as "independent contractors" in the construction industry. However, the law broadly defines those...
Refusal to Sign New Non-Compete Agreement Did Not Bar Unemployment Benefits
Recognizing that where a non-compete agreement is presented "more as an ultimatum than as a matter to be negotiated," an employee's refusal to sign the non-compete did not constitute misconduct disqualifying one from unemployment benefits, the Missouri Court of...
IRS Reinforces Idea That Employers Should Not Unload Employees Into Health Insurance Exchanges
In May 2014, the IRS drove the point home that it will work toward implementing certain policy directives included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by the enforcement of certain provisions of the ACA with violations thereof resulting in stiff penalties. Employers...
