Do you have a 50-100 employee business and don’t offer all your full time employees insurance coverage?

— Beginning on January 1, 2016, the ACA’s employer mandate will apply to all groups will 50 or more full time equivalent employees. (Mandate will be based on your company size in 2015.)

— Under the mandate, every employee who works over 30 hours a week must be offered single policy coverage where their out-of-pocket premium expenses cost a maximum of 9.5% of their gross income.

— Employer is required to subsidize the premium so that it doesn’t exceed the 9.5% level. Noncompliance carries a $2,000 penalty per employee.

— We offer several options that could minimize or eliminate this additional cost burden. For instance, several HSA insurance plans meet Obamacare’s required benefits but are cheaper than other approved plans due to higher deductibles.

– If you offer your employees proper coverage, but one or more of them prefers to purchase coverage on their own – whether on the private market or the Obamacare exchange – they can sign the necessary documents to that effect and the employer will not be penalized. If some or all of your employees are eligible for Medicaid – and get covered – you’re okay too.