Notice to Employees of Coverage Options Due October 1st
Employers both large and small are required to provide a notice to employers regarding new health insurance marketplace coverage options by October 1st, 2013. On an ongoing basis, new employees will also need to be provided this notice within 14 days of their start date.
The purpose of the notification is to inform employees about the new health insurance exchanges and subsidies that will be available to individuals effective January 1, 2014 and to provide information about the employer’s current offerings to employees.
The open enrollment period for the state and federal health insurance exchanges begins on October 1, 2013. The new exchanges will offer a place for individuals and small business to compare and select coverage options via an online marketplace.
Although some portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) were delayed until 2015, this notice requirement remains in effect. Many small employers may assume that they are not required to provide notice to employees, but this requirement applies to employers who are required to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act, regardless of the number of employees they hire. Employers should provide this notice to both full-time and part-time employees.
Employers can find more information about the notice and model notices which may be completed and sent to employees on the Department of Labor Website: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/index.html.
Special Thanks to Kiely Strohmaier of our Moses Lake, Washington office for working up this post.
Paul Neiffer, CPA
Paul Neiffer is a certified public accountant and business advisor specializing in income taxation, accounting services, and succession planning for farmers and agribusiness processors. Paul is a principal with CliftonLarsonAllen in Walla Walla, Washington, as well as a regular speaker at national conferences and contributor at agweb.com. Raised on a farm in central Washington, he has been immersed in the ag industry his entire life, including the last 30 years professionally. Paul and his wife purchase an 180 acre ranch in 2016 and enjoy keeping it full of animals.
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