The U.S. Chamber of Commerce unveiled a new publication yesterday to guide employers through the process of transitioning their benefits to meet the terms of the new health care law. This detailed primer, “Critical Employer Issues in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” focuses on the issues and timeline surrounding businesses complying with the new health care law.
“While employer groups may have varied membership and sometimes competing priorities, our number one health care priority right now needs to be explaining the new law to businesses, and helping them understand what it will mean, so they can decide how best to cope and comply,” said R. Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President of Government Affairs for the U.S. Chamber.
The new law requires individuals to purchase health coverage and for some employers to provide it or face penalties. It sets out standards for minimum essential benefit plans available through exchanges and provides premium and cost sharing assistance to individuals with income below 400 percent of federal poverty level. It also provides some tax credits for certain small businesses to help offset the cost of insurance. The law, which makes significant insurance reforms, is financed by increased and new taxes and cuts to the Medicare program.
Maryland Chamber Vice President of Government Affairs Ron Wineholt attended yesterday’s unveiling event. You can view a webcast from the event here.
The Maryland Chamber will hold a webinar on the new health care law for our members on Wednesday, May 19 at 2 p.m. The webinar will feature Wineholt, along with Don McDaniel, President & CEO of Sage Growth Partners, LLC. We will post more information about the webinar later this week.
