The Affordable Care Act (ACA) Small Business Forum at Southern New Hampshire University on April 10, was another success. Many small business owners attended the free forum to learn more about how the ACA could impact them and their small businesses. Some participants attended to brush up on changes that have occurred since our August 8th forum while others were new attendees. Thank you to all of the presenters and sponsors who were instrumental in making the forum a success!
Presenters included:
- Seth Goodall, Regional Administrator, U.S. Small Business Association
- Roger Sevigny, Commissioner, New Hampshire Insurance Department
- Jennifer Patterson, Esq., Life, Accident & Health Legal Counsel, New Hampshire Insurance Department
- Tom Boucher, CEO and owner, Great NH Restaurants, Inc.
- Nicholas Vailas, Senior Vice President for Government and Policy Affairs, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- William Graham, Esq., Compass Founder, Bedford Ambulatory Surgical Center
- Maria Proulx, Esq., Senior Legal Counsel, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
- William Enck, CPA, CPC, APA, Senior Manager, BerryDunn
- Christine Alibrandi, Esq., Director of Health Policy, Northeast Delta Dental
- Jodie Hittle, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Northeast Delta Dental
Fifty (50) is an important number when adhering to the ACA. When your company reaches 50 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, you will encounter new requirements and benefit from new advantages when complying with the ACA.
At 50 employees, a business is considered an Applicable Large Employer (APL), and therefore must provide health coverage to all employees. If you have 50 to under 100 employees, you are responsible for the Employer Shared Responsibility (ESR), beginning in 2016. Businesses with 51 and over FTE employees do not need to comply with Essential Health Benefits (EHB).
Businesses with fewer than 50 FTE employees are not required to offer health coverage to their employees. At 50 or fewer FTE employees, you have the option to offer health coverage to your employees through a SHOP Marketplace.
Does it sound complicated? That’s because it is! If you were not able to attend the forum on April 10, see the brochure here to help guide you through the ACA and the associated small business impacts.
At Northeast Delta Dental, we are committed to keeping you informed.
In the coming months, I will continue to update you, covering topics on how the Affordable Care Act affects you and your small business.