On February 10, 2014, the Obama Administration announced a delay in enforcement of some provisions related to the Employer-Shared Responsibility provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or health care reform). According to information provided by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department, the announcement is aimed to provide some transitional relief for employers that have 50 – 99 employees, delaying the requirement that these employers provide qualified coverage by January 1, 2015 or be faced with penalties. The delay moves their compliance date to January 1, 2016.
Additional topics were also addressed in the announcement, such as temporary guidance for determining hours worked by adjunct faculty, what steps employers with 100 or more employees must take to comply with the law, and what percentage of the workforce must be offered coverage to comply with the ACA requirements.
As part of our commitment to walk together with you in mission and ministry, Concordia Plan Services is reviewing the recently released guidance and information, and is determining how this additional information will impact LCMS employers and church workers. We will be sharing this information with you in the near future. We’ll also provide updates in the Web News section of www.ConcordiaPlans.org and on our microsite devoted to health care reform: www.ConcordiaPlans-hcr.org.
Additional resources:
- The U.S. Treasury Department issued a press release which can be accessed here (http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2290.aspx).
- The IRS has released an updated FAQ regarding the Employer-Shared Responsibility provisions of the ACA which can be accessed here (http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Questions-and-Answers-on-Employer-Shared-Responsibility-Provisions-Under-the-Affordable-Care-Act).