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
IRS and MO and IL DOLs’ Crackdown on Mischaracterizing Independent Contractors
Just a couple weeks ago, Missouri and Illinois, along with other states, entered into an agreement whereby the respective states’ DOLs will share information with the IRS in order to permit the IRS to more strictly enforce the wage and hour laws. Companies that...
Confusion over Alleged “Misconduct” Leads to Reversal of Unemployment Benefits Denial
Tab Evans was a Field Representative at Contract Callers, which performed services for St. Louis area utilities. On June 18, 2009, Evans was tasked to reconnect electrical service to Ameren UE customers in an apartment building. Evans tried to access the electrical...
Non-Compete Agreements and the Competitive Advantage: Where Do You Fit In?
"Whenever you face a man who's playing your instrument, there's a competition." Wynton Marsalis, American musician Just as musicians feel threatened by other musicians who play their instruments, employers feel threatened when former employees work for competitors...
Occupation Disease Claims No Longer Subject to Workers’ Compensation Law Exclusivity Provisions
On September 13, 2011, the Missouri Court of Appeals departed from well-established Missouri caselaw in holding that individuals may bring occupational disease claims through civil actions even though they may also have workers’ compensation remedies available for the...
