Obama, delay, penalties, large employers, Affordable Care Act
The Obama administration has announced a one-year delay on penalties against large employers who fail to offer workers insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Although the administration said the decision was the result of “careful, thoughtful” consideration, opponents of the federal health-care law said it reflects general disarray in the program.
“We have heard concerns about the complexity of the requirements and the need for more time to implement them effectively,” Mark J. Mazur, assistant treasury secretary for tax policy, wrote in a blog posted on the department’s website Tuesday.
“We recognize that the vast majority of businesses that will need to do this reporting already provide health insurance to their workers, and we want to make sure it is easy for others to do so. We have listened to your feedback. And we are taking action.”
In response to the announcement, U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Republican representing Oklahoma’s 1st District, tweeted “Yet another admission by Dems that Obamacare is unworkable.”
The tax penalties of $2,000 per uninsured employee after the first 30 employees are now set to go into effect Jan. 1, 2015.
