Mountain States Employers Council (MSEC), a leader in human resource and employment law services for the business community, announces its Health Care Reform Assessment program, a specialized service helping employers understand and comply with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).  This service analyzes the impact of health care reform on an employer and provides steps to implement the changes necessary to ensure compliance.

The Health Care Reform assessment includes a one-hour consultation with a health care reform specialist working through a customized, detailed checklist for implementing the necessary changes related to the Act. Available to existing members, the assessment helps member companies navigate requirements of the law, including:

·         Qualifications necessary for an organization to be considered an “Applicable Large Employer,” including how to analyze variable hour, seasonal, and part time employees
·         Insurance affordability and minimum value requirement calculations
·         Potential fees for not providing compliant coverage to the vast majority of all full-time employees
·         Considerations for joining the Small Business Insurance Marketplaces
·         Eligibility for tax credits for employers who do provide insurance
·         What employee notices are required under the Act and when they must be delivered

“It’s important that employers continue to prepare for the impending requirements of the Act even with the delays of the employer mandate until 2015,” said Mountain States Employers Council’s Ryan Sarni. “Employers should take advantage of this additional time to make sure they fully understand the impact on their business and start the process of preparing for the changes. Additionally, employers who are offering insurance next year still have a host of new requirements that will impact their plans.”

MSEC also offers its members free access to the new Health Care Reform Learning Zone, a comprehensive online tool providing easy access to an interactive, informative portal to guide them through the administrative details and requirements of health care reform. Based on the demographics of the employer, the tool guides members through the relevant Affordable Care Act requirements.

Non-members who are interested in learning more about the assessment, online learning zone tool or MSEC membership can contact Karen Stafford, Membership Development at 602.955.7558 or 800.437.9262 (toll free) or email azinfo@msec.org for more information.