Just as the new school year gets into swing and your desk is flooded with a fresh stack of paperwork, the October 1 Health Care Reform deadline zeros in on your to-do list as well. On the positive side, this deadline shouldn’t be additional paperwork that you need to sort, file, and complete. However, it is something you need to address with your faculty and staff—so, yes, there is some paperwork that needs to be distributed as employees return.
What is the October 1 deadline again? Simply put, you must provide a model notice to all existing employees about state marketplaces (state health exchanges) whether they are covered by your employer-sponsored health insurance or not, by October 1, 2013.
One way to handle notifications is to include these notices in your welcoming employee packages. (We mentioned there might be light paperwork.) That leaves the question; Where and how do you find these notices to distribute? Here are some links we’ve gathered to make your day a little easier.
- Model notice for employers who offer a health plan to some or all employees.
- Model notice for employers who do not offer a health plan.
- COBRA model election notice. (For employees who terminate their employment or go out on medical leave.)
- And, for those who want to see the changes made in the COBRA model election, here is the redline version illustrating the May 2013 updates.
In addition to notifying current faculty and staff, any new employee after October 1, 2013 must be given the notice at time of hire. (EBSA has stated that for 2014 notices given within 14 days from the date of hire will be considered given on date of hire.) You can provide electronic versions if you’ve met the Department of Labor’s electronic disclosure safe harbor requirement. (Employees have the right, however, to request a paper copy of the notice.)
Have questions regarding the October 1, 2013 deadline? Have questions about health care reform in general? Ask ISM’s Health Care Reform Specialist, Linda Geist.
You can also visit HealthReform.gov for more information.
Looking for different benefit options to meet your school’s unique budget? ISM Insurance has worked closely with private-independent schools for nearly four decades, helping them build benefit packages that promise long-term, sustained success. Since the health care reform changes have begun implementation, we have been working with schools and special health care consortiums that help to keep costs predictable and manageable. To see if your school qualifies for one of our state health care consortium programs, or to see what creative insurance solutions we have to help your school’s bottom line, contact us.
Additional ISM articles of interest
Private School News Vol. 11 No. 5 Health Care Reform and the Effect on Health Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements
ISM Monthly Update for Business Officers Vol. 11 No. 9 Preparing for the Health Care Reform Changes
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Managers Vol. 3 No. 8 Understanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
ISM Monthly Update for Human Resources Vol. 11 No. 9 Health Care Reform, Exchanges, and School Culture
Additional ISM articles of interest for Gold Consortium members
I&P Vol. 37 No. 12 Key Advice on Shaping Your Employee Health Benefits Plans
