Changes

"Four years after President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law, there is still uncertainty regarding its effects, due to delays and exemptions granted by the Obama administration and challenges still pending in the courts. So far, however, there is plenty of evidence that the ACA, or Obamacare, is raising the cost of health insurance to employers and individuals.

The effects on business vary - by state, firm size and the composition of firms' workforces - but the impact on small businesses is especially acute. Whereas large corporations typically self-insure - paying their employees' medical bills and hiring insurers to administer health benefits - small businesses purchase group health coverage from insurers and face cost-increasing regulations as they go through the annual ritual of renewing their coverage. Over the next few years, as regulations and mandates are finally implemented, Obamacare will affect how businesses operate - including hiring, employee compensation, growth and so forth." [http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st356 NCPA]