Administration Delays Implementation of Employer Mandate

Yesterday, the Department of Treasury announced that the employer mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would be delayed for one year. The employer mandate initially forced large employers, as defined by the ACA, to either provide health coverage for its full-time employees and equivalents or pay a penalty beginning in 2014. AGC has been working with an employer coalition on the implementation of the ACA to ensure that employer-sponsored coverage remains a competitive option for their employees. Transition relief from the employer mandate was a top priority of the coalition. The transition relief provided by the treasury department delays the reporting requirements of employers on the coverage they offer until 2015, as well as delays any shared responsibility payments by employers. The transition delay of the employer mandate does not affect any other components of the ACA at this time. For additional information on yesterday’s announcement, see Washington Council Ernst & Young’s Legislative Alert.  Additional information on the ACA is available to members on the AGC website. For more information, please contact Jim Young at (202) 547-0133 or youngj@agc.org.