About the Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or "Obamacare", is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. This healthcare reform law is complex and multi-faceted, and it has an impact on both employers (the “Employer Mandate”) and individuals (the “Individual Mandate”).
EMPLOYER MANDATE:
In general, the ACA requires that employers with 50 or more full-time employees, like the College of Charleston, offer healthcare insurance to full-time employees and their dependent children up to age 26. For purposes of the Affordable Care Act, employees who work an average of 30 hours or more per week are considered full-time and eligible for health care coverage with certain limited exceptions.
The ACA Employer Mandate is effective as of January of 2015. As an employer, the College has significant responsibilities under the law, and we have developed procedures and practices to ensure our compliance as of January 1, 2015.
Accordingly, based upon current guidance from the federal government and the SC Public Employee Benefits Authority (PEBA), the College is providing the option for healthcare coverage to full-time temporary employees who meet eligibility criteria beginning January 1, 2015. The College already offers healthcare insurance to benefits-eligible full-time employees in FTE positions.
To learn more about how the College determines eligibility and offers healthcare coverage to qualifying full-time temporary employees, along with what coverage options are provided, visit the College’s ACA FAQ’s. The coverage offered and eligibility criteria are subject to change based on state and federal guidance.
If you believe that you, or one of your employees, are eligible for medical coverage, but were not offered coverage, please follow the process for requesting a review of healthcare coverage eligibility decision.
Process for Requesting a Review of Healthcare Coverage Eligibility Decision:
In the event that an employee or an employee’s supervisor believes that an employee met the criteria to be eligible for healthcare coverage and was not offered coverage, the employee or supervisor should complete a Review of Healthcare Coverage Eligibility Decision Form, found here. In order to be eligible for healthcare benefits, an ongoing employee must work on average 30 hours or more per week over the College’s measurement period, October 4th through October 3rd, combined for all jobs. For new employees, healthcare coverage may be offered if the employee is not seasonal and the College reasonably expects the employee, at the time of hire, to work an average of at least 30 hours per week. Once completed, the form should be submitted to Sandy Butler and Kisha Galloway in Human Resources via email at butlers@cofc.edu and gallowayk1@cofc.edu; or via campus mail. The employee will be notified once the form has been received. Once received, the form along with the employee’s job data, hours worked as recorded in Banner, and contract(s) will be reviewed. Once a determination has been made, the affected employee will be notified in writing of the findings. If after review the employee is deemed eligible for healthcare coverage, a Notice of Election form will be provided.
INDIVIDUAL MANDATE:
Most Americans were required to have healthcare insurance by January 1, 2014. The ACA ensured that Americans had access to medical insurance they could afford, whether they got it from an employer, an insurance company or from the government. People not covered by healthcare insurance beginning in 2014 may have to pay a tax penalty.
On September 27, 2013, the College issued notices to all employees regarding the requirements of the individual mandate, including the Healthcare Exchange. See the College’s notices of the Healthcare Exchange for Temporary Employees and for Permanent Employees.
For additional information on the Affordable Care Act please review the presentation on Benefits and ACA.
You can access more information about the ACA at healthcare.gov.