As predicted, Congress is taking action to repeal and/or alter major sections of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). To get the process started, various committees in the United States House of Representatives (House) are in the midst of revising draft reconciliation bills – collectively known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA).
These mark-ups are just the starting point in a process where the House and Senate will each weigh in. We may also see additional proposals from the Trump administration before any new legislation is in final form. While the legislation is nowhere near the finish line, the following provides a brief overview of how the AHCA may potentially impact employers in the near future:
What does this mean right now? For the time being, the ACA remains in effect. Until a final version of the AHCA (or similar legislation) makes its way to President Trump’s desk and is signed into law, employers remain bound by all relevant provisions of the ACA.
However, assuming the AHCA makes its way through the House and Senate, and ultimately to the White House, employers should undertake pro-active steps to ensure that their human resources executives are well versed in the nuances of this climate-changing legislation and its inevitable impact upon their workforce.