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Health Care Reform Town Hall Update What Does It Mean For You As An Employer? Thursday, May 20 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET. Speakers. Barbara Gay, Director of Advocacy Information, AAHSA Dave Sanders, National Tax & Erisa Practice, Aon Consulting
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Health Care Reform Town Hall Update What Does It Mean For You As An Employer? Thursday, May 202:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET
Speakers Barbara Gay, Director of Advocacy Information, AAHSA Dave Sanders, National Tax & Erisa Practice, Aon Consulting Thora Johnson, Partner, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Venable, LLP
Structure of Today’s Program Introduction: Barbara Gay Key Employer Provisions Overview: Dave Sanders Timeline Implementation: Thora Johnson Questions and Closing: Barbara Gay
Implementation of Health Reform Implementation Challenges • Complex and challenging law to implement • 2,400 pages plus 153 page reconciliation bill • HHS (Health and Human Services) on point for implementation • Date of enactment was 3/23/10, with 6 month effective date for some provisions (9/23/2010) • Plans in existence on 3/23/10 are exempt from many rules, if remain unchanged ("grandfathered" plan)
Key Employer Issues – Market Reforms Annual and Lifetime Maximums Dependent Coverage • No lifetime maximums permitted for overall benefits (annual/ lifetime limits on specific benefits permitted) • Effective 6 months after enactment (1/1/11 for CY plans) • Complete elimination of annual limits beginning January 1, 2014 • Restrictions on annual limits prior to 2014 TBD by regulation • Effective 6 months after enactment (1/1/11 for CY plans) • Coverage of adult children up to age 26, regardless of marital or student status • If not eligible for other group plan (this condition expires 12/31/13) • Applies even if the child is not a tax dependent • Effective 6 months after enactment (1/1/11 for CY plans)
Key Employer Issues – Market Reforms Pre-existing Conditions Exclusions • Waiting periods greater than 90 days are not permitted • Effective 1/1/2014 • Must provide first dollar coverage for evidence based preventative care • Effective 6 months after enactment (1/1/11 for CY plans) • Grandfathered plans exempt Waiting Periods • Not permitted for children under age 19 • Effective 6 months after enactment (1/1/11 for CY plans) • Not permitted for all plan enrollees • Effective 1/1/2014 Preventive Benefits
Key Employer Issues – Impactful Provisions Free Rider Provision • Applies to employees working 30+ hours per week • Employers would convert health coverage subsidy to cash for any employees who would pay between 8% and 9.8% of their household income for health coverage and opts out of employer sponsored coverage for coverage in an Exchange based plan • Effective 1/1/2014 Employee Voucher • Applies to employees working 30+ hours/week • Employer pays $3,000 for each EE with coverage <60% of allowed costs or if EE pays >9.5% of their household income for health coverage • Employers not offering health coverage pay $2,000 per EE • First 30 employees not included in calculation of assessment • Effective 1/1/2014
Key Employer Issues Auto Enrollment Health Accounts • OTC drugs no longer reimbursable under FSA, HRA or HSA, unless prescribed by physician • Effective 1/1/2011 • Penalty on withdrawal of HSA funds for non-medical expenses increased to 20% • Effective 1/1/2011 • Annual contributions to health FSAs limited to $2,500 annually • Effective 1/1/2013 • Indexed to CPI as of 1/1/2014 • Applies to new hires • Employees can opt-out • Employer can choose plan for auto enrollment • Effective 1/1/11 or issuance of regulations by DOL, if later • Employers must notify employees at time of hire of the availability of Exchanges and their potential eligibility for a subsidy • Effective 3/1/2013 • No requirement to offer same coverage as Exchange plans Employee Notification 8
Key Employer Issues W-2 Reporting Uniform Explanation of Coverage • Annual distribution of summary of benefits and coverage • Not to exceed 4 pages • Uniform Explanation is in addition to the SPD required by ERISA • Effective 3/23/2012 • Employers with <25 employees earning < $50,000 each are eligible for tax credit • Applies to employer contributions toward cost of health insurance • Available for 2010-13 tax years • Employers required to report the “value” of health benefits provided to each employee • Value defined as COBRA cost • Effective 1/1/2011 • Same HHS transparency requirements as Exchange based plans • Claims payment policies and data • Information on cost sharing and payment for OON • Information on rating policies • Effective 1/1/2014 Transparency Requirements Small Employer Tax Credit
Key Employer Issues Appeals Process Wellness Incentives • Employer plans must have HHS approved external review process • Effective 1/1/2011 • Grandfathered plans exempt • Out of pocket expense cannot exceed HSA related coverage • Deductibles cannot exceed $2,000 single & $4,000 family as indexed • Effective 1/1/2014 • Grandfathered plans exempt • Employers permitted to increase employee reward for participation in wellness programs to 30% of total plan cost • HHS may increase to 50% • Effective 1/1/2014 • Grandfathered plans exempt • Insured plans are subject to same nondiscrimination rules as self-funded plans • Effective 1/1/2011 • Grandfathered plans exempt Cost Sharing Limitations Nondiscrimination
Key Employer Issues CLASS Act • Voluntary federal LTC insurance program • EEs can purchase via payroll deductions • All auto enrolled EEs can opt-out • Lifetime benefit payments • 5-year vesting period • Eligible for benefit if at least 2 ADLs for 90 days • Estimated revenue: $71 billion • Effective 1/1/2011
Other Key Provisions New Taxes on High Income Individuals • Adjusted gross income >$200k for individuals and >$250k for couples • Additional Medicare payroll tax on wages of 0.9% (employee-share only) • New surtax on investment income of 3.8% • New taxes on higher income individuals replaces lost revenue from delayed enactment of high cost plan excise tax (estimated $210 billion) • Effective 1/1/2013
Impact on Post-Retirement Health Plans • Taxation of Medicare Part D retiree drug subsidy • Temporary reinsurance program for pre-Medicare retirees (at least age 55) • Re-insurance for claims covering 80% of costs between $15,000-$90,000 for pre-65 retirees • Only funded up to $5 billion • Cutbacks to Medicare FFS providers and Medicare Advantage plan funding • Closure of Medicare Part D “donut hole”
Questions? Questions will be addressed by emailing: townhall@aahsa.org. If we cannot get to your question we will respond via email or by providing information on the AAHSA Health Reform Hub located on aahsa.org: http://www.aahsa.org/healthreform
Resources AAHSA Health Reform Information Hubwww.aahsa.org/healthreform AON Consulting Microsite www.aon.com/healthcarereform Venable, LLP www.venable.com
Speaker Contact Information Barbara Gay, Advocacy, AAHSA (202) 508-9489 bgay@aahsa.org Dave Sanders, National Tax & Erisa Practice, AON Consulting (410) 547-5989 dave.sanders@aon.com Thora Johnson, Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation, Venable, LLP (410) 244-7747 tajohnson@venable.com