The Evolving ACA: Help Your Clients Track Changes

The next era of health care reform began in January 2017 when, for the first time since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law, a Republican-controlled Congress and Administration took office. While there has not been a full repeal and replacement of the ACA to date, health care reform continues to evolve at both the federal and state levels.

The following chart outlines legislative, regulatory and executive actions that have been taken to modify or repeal parts of the ACA or related federal provisions since January 2017. For more details on these changes, visit our news alerts page on www.InformedonReform.com.

ACA largely remains in effect

It is important to remember that the majority of the ACA remains in effect, and ongoing compliance is required unless and until official guidance to the contrary is issued. As employers plan their near- and long-term health benefit strategies, they should ensure ongoing compliance with key ACA provisions, such as:

• Employer Mandate (Minimum Value and Affordability)
• Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) and cost-sharing limits
• Fees and taxes (CERF and HIIF)
• Nondiscrimination requirements
• Reporting requirements
• Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBCs)
• Wellness program rules

As a reminder, the impact of ACA provisions vary for every group plan and employer, depending on employer size, how plans are funded and whether or not the plan has grandfathered status.

Available online resources

Cigna has several resources to help clients and broker partners stay up to date as health care reform continues to evolve, including:

• InformedonReform.com
  This award-winning website is our cornerstone resource for health care reform, offering the latest news and updates, and featuring fact sheets, breaking news alerts, an interactive timeline and more.
• YourACARoadmap.com
  Get a personalized snapshot of your annual responsibilities and applicable deadlines as an employer under the ACA with this compliance timeline tool.
   
• Online toolkits
  See our toolkits for the most up-to-date information and “how-to’s” on Reporting Requirements and the Comparative Effectiveness Research Fee.
  • https://www.Cigna.com/reporting-requirements-toolkit
  • https://www.Cigna.com/cerf-toolkit

Click here to download a PDF file with this information that you can share with your clients.