Employee Notification Deadline Oct. 1

The phone is ringing off the hook at the Louisiana Restaurant Association with questions about the upcoming deadline to notify employees of the Health Care Marketplace/exchanges opening Oct. 1, 2013.

What does that mean for you as an employer? It means that first you need to determine if you are a large or small employer. To calculate your full-time equivalent employees, download the free National Restaurant Association Health Care Primer here.

Once you’ve determined your size (large or small) under the Affordable Care Act, then you will complete the notification form and distribute to your employees to read it and sign that they understand.

What individuals need to know? If you work for a small company and are not eligible for coverage through your employer, you must obtain coverage on the Health Care Marketplace beginning October 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014. Based on your annual salary, you may be eligible for government subsidies through the marketplace at healthcare.gov.

 

To view the previous blog post about the Employee Notification Tool from the National Restaurant Association and the Restaurant Health Care Alliance, click here.

If you have questions, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277 today and we’ll be happy to help.

Health Care law begins to kick into high gear

Louisiana Restaurant Association members are urged to prepare now.

The biggest changes to the U.S. health insurance system in decades continue to unfold this fall, with government-run exchanges set to begin selling health plans for 2014 to millions of individuals and small businesses Oct. 1.

The Obama Administration’s July decision to make 2014 a transition year for the law’s employer mandate and some employer reporting requirements buys larger employers some extra time to try to understand the law, refine their options, put systems into place, and get ready to comply with the employer mandate in 2015.

But the rest of the law is moving forward as scheduled. And even with some employer requirements pushed to 2015, businesses of all sizes still face immediate pressures to prepare. Here’s a look at some upcoming deadlines.

Oct. 1, 2013: Exchanges open. Government-run health insurance marketplaces, also known as exchanges, must be up and running by Oct. 1 in all states to let individuals and small employers enroll in private health care plans for 2014. Seventeen states and Washington, D.C., will operate their own exchange or partner with the federal government on an exchange. Thirty-three states, including Louisiana, have chosen to let the federal government run the exchanges in their states for 2014. Among other responsibilities, exchanges will play a central role in determining which individuals qualify for federal tax subsidies to help buy coverage through an exchange.

Oct. 1, 2013: Employee-notification rules. All employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act are required to provide written notice to employees about health care coverage options through the new health insurance marketplaces/exchanges. According to temporary guidance issued by the Dept. of Labor this spring, employers must provide notices to existing employees by Oct. 1, 2013; at the time of hire for employees hired between Oct. 1, 2013 and Dec. 31, 2013; and within 14 days of the employee’s start date beginning in 2014. The National Restaurant Association’s Health Care Law Primer offers more details.

NRA Notification Tool available! The NRA has developed a Notification Tool that makes it simple for you to comply with the new health care law and offer additional benefits to your employees. The Notification Tool is free to Louisiana Restaurant Association members! Learn more here. 

 Jan. 1, 2014: Individual mandate: With limited exceptions, all Americans are required to obtain “minimum essential coverage” –through their employers, exchanges, Medicaid/Medicare or elsewhere—for themselves and their dependents or face potential tax penalties. In 2014, individuals will face a penalty of $95 per adult and $47.50 per child with a maximum of $285 or a family, or 1 percent of family income, whichever is greater. Individuals will be required to state on their federal tax returns that they have health care coverage and identify the source. It’s likely that many employees will look to their employers for information about the mandate; see the NRA’s Health Care Law Primer for answers to some common employee questions.

The NRA is also urging Congress to change parts of the law, including changing the definition of full time to 40 hours a week from 30, simplifying the calculation to determine who’s a large employer, and eliminating the automatic-enrollment requirement that would force employers with more than 200 full-time employees to automatically enroll full-time employees in company health plans if employees fail to opt out by a certain date. Visit AmericaWorksHere.org/healthcare to learn what you can do to get Congress to make these changes.

 The LRA has partnered with UnitedHealthcare to deliver cost-effective solutions that meet the unique needs of restaurant owners and their valued employees. Read more here.

LRA Health Care Session video now live

If you missed the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s (LRA) June 17-19 five-city tour, “The 411 on Health Care Reform for the Hospitality Industry,” you can watch the session from the comfort and convenience of your home or office.  Featuring National Restaurant Association VP of Health & Insurance Services Randy Spicer, you’ll learn what the Affordable Care Act means, what the law does, what you should do and when you need to do it.

During the sessions, there were some common misconceptions revealed through the questions asked by LRA members, such as common ownership and employer notification responsibility, among others. Read about the misconceptions here.

Now is the perfect time to learn more about the Affordable Care Act and what you need to do.

The LRA has partnered with UnitedHealthcare to introduce the Restaurant Health Care Alliance in Louisiana. The Alliance will offer a suite of health benefit products that will help nearly 200,000 Louisiana restaurant and hospitality employees gain easier access to cost-effective health care coverage and related products and services.

The LRA will be taking appointments at the Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO, August 3-5, during which time, members can meet and discuss their specific situations with Kimberlee Vandervoorn, Sr. Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives with UnitedHealthcare.

If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact the LRA at (504) 454-2277 or email healthcare@lra.org today.

 

Presenting sponsor for the LRA's five-city Health Care tour was BancorpSouth Insurance Services/Wright & Percy Insurance and also UnitedHealthcare.

LRA Health Care Road Show reveals common misconceptions with the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is upon us and now is the best time to begin to prepare for the changes ahead. The LRA traveled to five Louisiana cities in two and half days in June to break down the Affordable Care Act, what it means, what it does, what to do and when to do it.  

During the Health Care Road Show, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) and UnitedHealthcare introduced the Restaurant Health Care Alliance in Louisiana, which offers a suite of health benefit products that will help nearly 200,000 Louisiana restaurant and hospitality employees gain easier access to cost-effective health care coverage and related products and Services. 

 

National Restaurant Association VP of Health and Insurance Services Randy Spicer, UnitedHealthcare Strategic Initiatives Sr. Director Kimberlee Vandervoorn and LRA VP of Communications Wendy Waren found that there were several important areas of the ACA that members needed a little more assistance with in terms of understanding the spirit of the law.

 

Here are the top 6 misconceptions with the ACA. 

I don’t have 50 Full Time Employees so ACA doesn’t apply to me.

False. Every employer and every individual has a responsible under the Affordable Care Act. Whether or not you meet the large employer threshold (50 Full Time Equivalent [FTE] employees), you have a responsibility to notify your employees of the Louisiana state exchange, also known as the Health Insurance Marketplace. By October, these exchanges will be operational and your employees will be looking to you for information and at the very least you will need to notify, in writing (and get a signature for your legal protection), where employees can access health insurance coverage information. 

The NRA and the LRA have developed an online solution to help restaurateurs comply. Get Ready today: Register for the online solution and learn more about how to meet the October 1, 2013 deadline notification at healthcareadvice.com  

I own several small businesses.  I don’t have to combine all the employees together to determine whether I am a large employer, do I?

Yes, you may need to combine employees for businesses under “common control.” Consult with your tax adviser or attorney about your particular circumstances, but you may need to consider your employees as one group for the purposes of the requirements of the health care law, regardless of whether you own a transportation company, a restaurant, a hotel, a timber business and a bar.  

I have ownership in several businesses with partners and/or family members. How does common ownership factor into the ACA?

The IRS will apply its longstanding common control standard of who is the employer—found at Internal Revenue Code 414(b), (c), (m) and (o)—in these situations. Under this standard, companies that have common ownership or are otherwise related sometimes must be considered as one employer. In the past, common control has been considered by the IRS as the same five or fewer people owning/controlling at least 80 percent of the companies.

My company offers a health care plan for managers. Will that still be allowed under the ACA?

The health care law applies non-discrimination rules to insured group health plans. However, regulations have not been issued to explain how this would work. Any employer that offers management only or tiered health benefit plans should especially be on the lookout for the new non-discrimination rules, which could be issued in 2013.

It is unclear how these types of plans may be affected by the law, but until the regulations are issued, some professionals suggest offering a 60 percent actuarial value plan and the higher valued plan, but offer both plans to all employees. By doing so,  you are allowing your line level employees the ability to buy up to the higher plan that they otherwise didn’t have access to, thus offsetting some possible negatives until more is known. 

Is there a website that tells you all the loop holes?

No, there are no loop holes.  This the law so please visit www.healthcare.restaurant.org for the NRA’s Health Care Primer and get started today learning what you need to do to comply with the law.

LRA hosts the 411 on Health Care Reform Series across Louisiana

Health care and the Affordable Care Act are the most important challenges facing the restaurant and hospitality industries right now. Louisiana Restaurant Association members are searching for answers and information as the requirements of the Affordable Care Act are still being determined.

Some changes are already underway, including a mandate due to take effect in early fall requiring employers to give employees notice about new government "Health Insurance Marketplaces," that are supposed to begin signing people up for 2014 health coverage starting this October.

The LRA will be heading to five Chapter areas with a panel of experts to share insight and information necessary in helping members understand what these changes will mean for their restaurant and business operations. The Presenting Sponsor of the sessions is BancorpSouth Insurance Services/Percy & Wright Insurance. UnitedHealthcare is also a sponsor of the sessions.

Monroe & NE Region
Monday, June 17, 9.-10:30 a.m.
Monroe Civic Center, Bayou Room
Co-hosted by: Monroe-West Monroe-CVB, Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Ruston Lincoln CVB.

Shreveport & Bossier City
Monday, June 17, 3-4:30 p.m.
Eldorado Casino Resort, Ballroom
Co-hosted by: Shreveport Bossier Tourist Commission, Bossier Chamber of Commerce and Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce.

Lafayette & Lake Charles area
Tuesday, June 18, 9-10:30 a.m.
City Club at River Ranch, Ballroom
Co-hosted by: Lake Charles-SW La CVB, Lafayette CVB and Jeff Davis Tourist Commission.

Baton Rouge
Tues., June 18, 2-3:30 p.m.
Hilton Capitol Center, Riverview B
Co-hosted by: Visit Baton Rouge

New Orleans, Northshore & Bayou
Wed., June 19, 10-11:30 a.m.
Crowne Plaza, Kenner, Salons 4-6
Co-hosted by: New Orleans CVB, Jefferson CVB and Greater New Orleans Hotel & Lodging Association.

Randy Spicer
VP of Health & Insurance
Services, NRA

The panelists for the sessions are: National Restaurant Association VP of Health and Insurance Services Randy Spicer, UnitedHealthcare's Senior Director of Strategic Growth Initiatives Kimberlee Vandervoorn and BancorpSouth Insurances Services/Percy & Wright Insurance VP Scott McKnight.

Kimberlee Vandervoorn
Sr. Dir. of Strategic Growth
Initiatives, UHC

Spicer is an insurance veteran and he brings an extensive background in health care and financial management, product development, underwriting and service integrations strategies within the insurance, Medicare and health care industries. He'll lead the sessions informing attendees about what the Affordable Care Act means, what it does, what you need to do and when you need to do it.

Scott McKnight, VP,
BancorpSouth Insurance
Services/Percy & Wright.

Vandervoorn leads UHC's partnership with the National Restaurant Association and the LRA and multiple other state restaurant and lodging associations. She works with the LRA to make health and wellness more affordable to Louisiana's hospitality industry and craft solutions to help business owners comply with the Affordable Care Act.

Finally, McKnight will provide answers to specific questions from attendees and be on hand following the session to speak directly with attendees on their needs regarding health coverage.

To RSVP, please contact Denise Schmidt at (504) 454-2277 or email healthcare@lra.org.

Health Care options for the Hospitality Industry now available

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) has partnered with UnitedHealthcare (UHC) to deliver cost-effective solutions that meet the unique needs of restaurant owners and their valued employees. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) first partnered with UHC to launch the Restaurant Health Care Alliance, offering a suite of products that will help nearly 13 million restaurant employees gain easier access to health care coverage and related products and services.



LRA President/CEO
Stan Harris

“Healthcare is one of the most important challenges facing our industry and our members are searching for answers and information,” said Stan Harris, LRA President and CEO. “The strategic partnership will help our members identify solutions to help them meet the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.”

With nearly 200,000 Louisianans employed within the restaurant industry, the LRA teamed up with UHC to provide large and small members with accessible and comprehensive wellness plans, featuring:

·         Medical, dental, vision and life insurance;
·         Access to UHC’s network of healthcare providers and services;
·         A range of wellness programs for groups and individuals;
·         A discount card for saving on an array of wellness products and services, including prescriptions;
·         Easy, online plan management with access to benefits, rates and real-time assistance;
·         Health management tools, including a medical encyclopedia, disease and condition centers, information on tests and procedures and a drug guide and interaction checker;
·         And compliance assurance for employers and employees.

As part of the NRA initiative, the LRA has chosen to work with UHC because of the wide range of innovative products and services the company offers that can meet the diverse needs of restaurant employers, employees and their families. For more information, visit www.lra.org.