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
Social Networking Passwords Protected by New Illinois Law
Recently, Illinois passed a new law that protects potential and current employees’ privacy rights. Effective January 1, 2013, House Bill 3782 makes it unlawful for an employer to request or require an employment applicant or employee to provide any password for the...
A Primer on Unemployment Claims in Missouri
Chapter 288 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, commonly known as the “Missouri Employment Security Law,” governs all claims for unemployment benefits. To be eligible for unemployment benefits under Section 288.040, RSMo., a claimant must, among other things, lose...
A Supervisor is not an “Employer” for Purposes of a Wrongful Discharge Claim
There has long been a debate over what exactly constitutes an “employer” as that term is defined under Missouri’s employment laws. While Missouri courts have made it clear that an “employer” can include individuals in addition to the company itself, individual...
It Might Not Get Easier in the Hereafter; Estate Planning for Digital Assets
We are gradually, and grudgingly, learning that our online presence can outlive our physical presence and possibly take on a life of its own. As we begin to move more of our activities — financial, social, work, leisure, creative — to the Internet, the question about...
