Governmental Winds Cast Cloud Over ACA — Are You Weather Ready for 2019?
Two days after our 2019 compliance forecast webinar, a federal judge in Texas struck down the entire Affordable Care Act on the grounds that its mandate requiring people to buy health insurance is unconstitutional.
Just like Mother Nature, Uncle Sam’s fondness for unpredictability certainly has a way of keeping benefits pros on our toes. In just the last few weeks alone, the erratic winds of government have made us feel pretty uneasy.
- Just before Thanksgiving, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a change in the maximum salary contributions to FSAs.
- Two weeks later, the IRS extended the due date for furnishing IRS Form 1095-B and 1095-C for Tax Year 2018.
- Then, last Friday, a Texas judge struck down the Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional.
The impact of the ACA ruling will not be felt for some time; 1095 reporting for Tax Year 2018 remains a priority and the decision itself is likely to be appealed. Nonetheless, the constant barrage of changes coming down from the state and federal levels is sure to make any benefits pro wonder what each day has in store for them. But, this is simply our reality. There’s no crystal ball when it comes to compliance. It’s more like the weather; depending on the forecast, you might take an umbrella with you before you leave the house, just in case. Or maybe you keep a set of gloves in your car. Being prepared is what it’s all about.
That’s why we decided to host a webinar last Thursday designed to help you be “weather ready” for compliance in 2019. Nobody knows which way the governmental winds will blow next year. But, by keeping certain issues on your radar, you can prepare for at least a few likely scenarios.
If you couldn’t tune in, don’t worry. You can watch the full webinar here. In it, we discussed:
- The future of the ACA (But without respect to the subsequent ruling by the judge in Texas.)
- Employee gender classifications
- Proposed guidelines for health reimbursement arrangements (HRA)
- Wellness program incentive limits
- Medicare drug reimbursement proposals
- Pharmacy “gag rules”
If you were able to catch the live webinar, you can return to the on-demand version any time you like, or share the link with colleagues you think might be interested.
