The Affordable Care Act's Impacts on Businesses

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The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has changed the health care system in the United States. Beginning in 2014, all health insurance plans are required to guarantee coverage regardless of health status. In particular, the ACA has brought many changes to employers. Beginning in 2014, plans cannot set an annual dollar limit on benefit, limit coverage based on pre-existing conditions, nor limit the total dollar amount of benefits in an individual’s lifetime. Effective in 2015, employer plans also require a limit to the amount of cost-sharing such as co-pays and deductibles. All of these changes brought by the Affordable Care Act impact small and large businesses as well as several stakeholders such as the employers themselves, employees, hospitals...etc.
The Affordable Care Act impacts small businesses and large businesses differently. Before the ACA, smaller businesses were less likely to offer health insurance coverage to their employees than larger businesses. The aspects of the ACA that relate most directly to small businesses include the creation of new insurance exchanges, tax credit ...

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