The Affordable Care Act is already causing much confusion for American companies as well as for the general public. The law, as passed, was over 2,500 pages long and will require thousands of additional pages of regulatory policy in order to be enacted. As we enter the year 2013, there will be many more changes to healthcare as the new law and the regulatory policies surrounding it take effect. As the provider of employee benefits, business owners need to fully understand the impact that the Affordable Care Act will have on their business and their employees over the next few years.

The professionals at WageWatch would like to share the following refresher on some of the most important policies within the Affordable Care Act:

1. Small business owners will receive a tax credit on their contribution to employee insurance policies. For businesses with less than 10 employees, each with average wages under $25,000, they will receive a 50 percent tax credit on their contribution. These tax credits apply to all small businesses up to 50 employees with average wages of $50,000, although the credit is reduced on a sliding scale depending on the businesses size and average salary.


2. Beginning in the year 2018, the Affordable Care Act will impose a 35 percent tax on employer provided health insurance plans that exceed $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for coverage of a family. The idea behind this policy is that business owners will aim to avoid expensive insurance policies known as Cadillac Plans, and insurance companies will be forced to modify coverage with an eye to keeping costs down. (WageWatch)  Read the complete article