It was never going to be easy to enact healthcare reform, but one by one pieces of the Affordable Care Act, particularly HealthCare.gov are being put off. In the latest Obamcare news update, the administration has decided to delay for one year a function that allows small businesses to enroll employees online. It’s referred to as the Small Business Healthcare Options marketplace.
The New York Times referenced a document from the administration that said: “Employers can’t apply for SHOP eligibility or enroll in SHOP coverage on HealthCare.gov at this time. However, they can go to HealthCare.gov to view plan and pricing information to help them choose a plan and insurance company.”
Four months ago, the administration pushed back the employer mandate to 2015. It would fine companies with more than 50 employees up to $3,000 if they did not provide health insurance to staff.
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SHOP was supposed to go into effect at the end of the month. But looking at the Obamacare pros and cons, it will mean that the focus will stay on fixing HealthCare.gov’s errors for consumer access.
Hearings to better assess the scale of the problems facing the federal health insurance exchange earlier this month revealed that up to 40 percent of the website was unfinished.
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