Plano, TX – A webinar on the requirements and expected impacts of the U.S. Affordable Care Act will be presented February 25 by the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) and the human resources consulting firm SESCO Management Consultants and sponsored by Trade Show Executive.
SESCO lists several companies and associations among its clients. Speakers will provide an overview of the new responsibilities businesses will face as well as the consequences of noncompliance with the new law.
“The challenge is companies are dealing with all of this when there is still so much that has to be defined,” said Jamie Hasty, SESCO vice president and lead presenter for the webinar. “We are still at the point where one government agency is saying one thing and another agency is saying something else. It’s challenging for employers and groups.”
Titled The Employer’s Guide to Healthcare Reform, the webinar will take place February 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST. The cost is $25 for ESCA members and $50 for nonmembers.
The Affordable Care Act is expected to have an impact on strategic planning for group health plans. Commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” the Affordable Care Act was upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in June.
The plan was seen from the start by many in the business community as an unwelcome package of additional costs, man hours and upheaval to employer health plans all tied up in red tape. And, Hasty told TSE, the situation has not changed much.
“It’s a killer,” Hasty said. “The law makes it extremely hard on employers when you look at some of the penalties and other challenges involved. They will also be focusing more time on training, paperwork and communications.”
Healthcare reform will likely produce some tricky issues for many employers, such as possible reductions in the hours of full-time workers and in collective-bargaining negotiations with unions. There are also ongoing interpretations and adjustments by the Internal Revenue Service.
The ideal strategy is to be as pro-active as possible, which Hasty said was a challenged in itself due to the still-fluid situation. “There are always new interpretations and guidelines coming out and they will continue to come out,” Hasty said.
SESCO has been monitoring the development of the Affordable Care Act since it debuted in 2010. A cadre of lawyers, human resources specialists and federal officials has provided input and analysis of the legislation and what it means to the business community.
“The will be significant challenges to meet and decisions to be made, but some folks haven’t event started to address them,” Hasty said.
February 25 will be a good place to start.
Reach Mitt Arnaudet, ESCA member services director, at (972) 447-8212 or mitt@esca.org
