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Affordable Care Act

Learn about ACA and what you need to know to stay in compliance.
HR Fast Facts: Calculating W-2 Wages for ACA Affordability Safe Harbor

HR Fast Facts: Calculating W-2 Wages for ACA Affordability Safe Harbor

If an employer satisfies the requirements for this Safe Harbor, their insurance coverage offering will be considered affordable under the ACA employer mandate.
June 26, 2025・2 mins read

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Attracting and Retaining Talent: Must-Ask Questions When Choosing Your Company’s Health Insurance
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Attracting and Retaining Talent: Must-Ask Questions When Choosing Your Company’s Health Insurance
Your employee benefits offering is a valuable tool to attract and retain valuable talent. Learn what important questions to ask before making this important decision.
March 31, 2022・15 mins read
ALE Calculation
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ALE Calculation
Applicable large employers (ALEs) are companies with an average of 50 or more full time equivalent employees (FTEs) on business days in the prior calendar year. In order to navigate through ACA requirements, businesses first have to calculate their company’s FTE count and determine ALE status.
October 1, 2021・16 mins read
ACA Fact Sheet–Controlled Group Overview
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ACA Fact Sheet–Controlled Group Overview
Understand the characteristics of primary ACA controlled group types and how this impacts your applicable large employer status.
October 1, 2021・4 mins read
ACA Fact Sheet: Who is a Seasonal Employee?
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ACA Fact Sheet: Who is a Seasonal Employee?
Under IRS and U.S. Treasury Department regulations, new seasonal employees are not considered "full-time," benefits-eligible even if they are expected to work 30 or more hours per week. But how do you know if you can classify an employee as seasonal?
October 1, 2021・4 mins read
ACA Fact Sheet: Full-Time, Variable Hour and Seasonal Employees
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ACA Fact Sheet: Full-Time, Variable Hour and Seasonal Employees
In order to avoid potential penalties, it is important for applicable large employers (ALEs) to understand how to determine which employees are considered “full-time” under the Affordable Care Act, making them eligible for benefits.
October 1, 2021・11 mins read

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ACA Fact Sheet—Employer Shared Responsibility “Pay or Play” Provision for Applicable Large Employers
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ACA Fact Sheet—Employer Shared Responsibility “Pay or Play” Provision for Applicable Large Employers
Get the details on ACA’s employer-shared responsibility and how to avoid potential penalties.
October 1, 2021・5 mins read
ACA Fact Sheet—Section 6056 Reporting Requirements
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ACA Fact Sheet—Section 6056 Reporting Requirements
Know the IRS reporting requirements, deadlines and non-compliance penalties for applicable large employers.
October 1, 2021・6 mins read
ACA Affordability Percentage and Calculations for 2020
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ACA Affordability Percentage and Calculations for 2020
For plan years starting in 2020, the affordability percentage is 9.78%
May 18, 2020・6 mins read
SBA, ACA, IRS: What Qualifies as a Small Business?
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
SBA, ACA, IRS: What Qualifies as a Small Business?
Here are some of the most popular organizations’ definitions of “small business"
May 4, 2020・5 mins read
The Path to Maintaining HR Compliance
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
The Path to Maintaining HR Compliance
Starting a business can be difficult. Growing one is even harder. Whether your company is big or small, a startup or mature, maintaining compliance in HR is critical to success.
November 14, 2019・12 mins read
ACA Fines Are on the Way. Here’s How You Can Prepare for Reporting Season
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
ACA Fines Are on the Way. Here’s How You Can Prepare for Reporting Season
The IRS has released details regarding how penalties for noncompliance with the employer shared responsibility provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will be communicated. Although no penalties have been assessed to date, the fact that the IRS has now formalized this process is a tell-tale sign that penalty collection is on the way.
December 5, 2017・8 mins read
Struggling With HR? Here Are the Most Important HR Topics You Need to Juggle Right Now!
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Struggling With HR? Here Are the Most Important HR Topics You Need to Juggle Right Now!
Most business owners realize, from the moment they hire their first employee, that human resources (HR) can be a tedious and time-consuming process. And the more employees you add to your team, the more work HR becomes. HR rules and regulations can differ tremendously by state or jurisdiction and, to make matters more complicated, these rules and regulations are constantly changing
September 26, 2017・5 mins read
President Trump Has Taken Office: Here Is What You Need to Know About the ACA Developments
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
President Trump Has Taken Office: Here Is What You Need to Know About the ACA Developments
President Trump has already gotten to work on repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, we can expect extensive delays before we see any significant changes to the ACA.In the meantime, companies are advised to continue to comply with the ACA to avoid penalties, including “pay or play” mandate for Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) to offer ACA compliant coverage and Section 6056 reporting.
January 31, 2017・3 mins read
Does my company need to offer dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Does my company need to offer dental coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?
January 9, 2017・2 mins read
SMBs in the Healthcare Industry: There is a New Affordable Care Act Requirement for Your Business
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
SMBs in the Healthcare Industry: There is a New Affordable Care Act Requirement for Your Business
Companies that are primarily engaged in providing or administering health care services or coverage have one more Affordable Care Act (ACA) notice requirement to worry about. Effective October 16, 2016, healthcare companies must post a notice stating that they do not engage in discrimination that is prohibited by ACA Section 1557.
November 15, 2016・4 mins read
With the Presidential Election Just One Day Away, TriNet Survey Reveals Workers' Feelings on the ACA
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With the Presidential Election Just One Day Away, TriNet Survey Reveals Workers' Feelings on the ACA
A new survey released by TriNet underscores how employees at small and midsize businesses feel about the current presidential election, especially in regard to the Affordable Care Act.
November 7, 2016・1 min read
What You Need to Know About the New Proposed Benefits and Payment Parameters for ACA Marketplace Plans
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What You Need to Know About the New Proposed Benefits and Payment Parameters for ACA Marketplace Plans
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have made proposals to change the benefit and payment parameters for the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) health insurance marketplace for 2018. If HHS and CMS’s proposed changes are finalized, they will be effective for plan years that begin on or after January 1, 2018.
October 14, 2016・4 mins read
How Businesses Can Survive and Thrive as the Regulatory Environment Becomes more Complex
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How Businesses Can Survive and Thrive as the Regulatory Environment Becomes more Complex
America’s small businesses are bearing over 36 percent more of the financial burden of regulatory compliance than their large counterparts. The regulatory environment that modern businesses face stymies both small business success and the economy.
September 11, 2016・4 mins read
Check Your Mailbox: ACA Subsidy Notices Are Coming Soon!
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Check Your Mailbox: ACA Subsidy Notices Are Coming Soon!
One provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is employer shared responsibility, also known as “pay or play” penalties. Under this provision, if an applicable large employer (ALE) does not offer affordable health coverage providing minimum benefits to full-time employees and their dependents, the employer could be subject to a penalty. This penalty helps to offset the cost of the premium tax credit or any subsidies that employees who have coverage through the health insurance marketplace may have received.
July 15, 2016・5 mins read
What Employers Can Learn from Dave & Buster’s About Affordable Care Act Compliance
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
What Employers Can Learn from Dave & Buster’s About Affordable Care Act Compliance

With all the rules and potential penalties within the Affordable Care Act (ACA), it may be tempting to make some changes to business structure to avoid headaches or increased cost.  Be aware that doing so may have greater consequences than intended.  Keep reading for an example of a company’s attempts to navigate the regulations on their own.

June 13, 2016・5 mins read
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