Enacted in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a sweeping federal healthcare reform law that took effect on staggered dates between 2010 and 2016. The law’s main purpose is to ensure that all individuals have access to some form of healthcare coverage, whether through employer-sponsored plans, individual insurance policies, or governmental programs. 

To assist employers and their advisors, our material focuses on the ACA provisions directly affecting them, such as: Rules for group health plans, including prohibiting pre-existing condition exclusions, imposing annual or lifetime dollar limits on certain benefits, extending eligibility to children to age 26, limiting out-of-pocket costs, maximum 90-day waiting period, and much more. 

Mandate on large employers to offer adequate coverage to their full-time employees or face potential penalties if employees get subsidized individual insurance from a Marketplace (Exchange). Requirements for employers to provide notices to workers and submit various forms and reports to the government. Government subsidies to help small employers provide health coverage to employees. 

You’ll find both quick facts and detailed summaries for each key provision, resources, guides, and links to federal sources for supporting documentation in our Affordable Care Act Toolkit. If you are new to ACA reporting, this quick reference guide outlines the Employer Pay or Play Basics