Navigating DOL Health Benefits Website

Explain how employers could verify that their employee benefits comply with all federal laws by using this resource.

The video title “Obamacare for dummies” narrated by Keith Hughes provide us with eight critical aspects of the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA), also known as the Obamacare. In beginning Hughes went back to a brief history to name other programs that created with a similar purpose as the ACA.

As previously stated in the introduction, the Affordable Care Act has nine title sections that discuss the essential components of the reform. The Affordable Care Act includes every topic from all Americans having access, to individual companies being held responsible, to tax provisions for said companies. Each title specifically outlines what changes will become effective through this policy.

The ACA was recently put into play in 2010, the broad overview of this act was to make changes and add rules to healthcare exchange, requirements for health

The policies and procedures that are needed to comply with federal employment laws are to comply with an equal opportunity employment meaning do not discriminate against a person because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Another one would be wages and hours worked. This means employers need to follow the age and time limits, need to pay for all hours worked and if an employee works overtime, they need to be paid 1.5% of normal pay. The employer also needs to obey by the garnishment laws for employees. Safety and Health Standards is another the employer needs to provide a safe and healthy environment for their employees. This one is important one the Health Benefits, Retirement Standards, and Workers' Compensation. (Employment Law Guide: 2009) Some more would be Work Authorization for non-U.S. citizens, Working Conditions, and Other Workplace Standards. Some others are that health care practitioners are required to comply with HIPAA, medical practice acts, and boards of regulation, reporting deaths, births, and communicable diseases. (Flight, 2004) Health care professionals are also required to report abuse of any person.

Benefits and Protections. (Revised 2013). United States Department of Labor online. Retrieved May 27, 2014 from http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmlaen.pdf

What is Affordable Care Act? It is a federal statue, which is a bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in 2010 (Fordney, 2017). Quality care, positive outcomes and access to affordable health care insurance has been an issue on the priority list of government officials. With this healthcare change the objective is to enhance access to care and expand insurance coverage for all Americans. The law incorporates expansions to be established, including the improvement of Medicaid eligibility. Also, the development of medical coverage exchanges, which will give buyers security and flexibility of healthcare coverage. To diminish cost to buyer’s new models for payments was established, thus improving the way care is

So that covers the basic overview of what the Affordable Care Act does, according to the federal government. But what does this stuff really mean? Many pieces of the Act are confusing or poorly written. For example, what does free preventative care really look like? For the next section, this paper will cover what the Affordable Care Act looks like in “boots on the ground” form. How does the ACA actually affect people, businesses, and medical professionals?

The Affordable Care Act (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), commonly called "Obamacare," is a federal statute that was signed into law in March of 2010 (PDF, n.d.; Van de Water, 2011). It basically requires the vast majority of people in the United States who do not have insurance coverage to acquire that coverage or face penalties. People who already have insurance through their employers or on their own will not be asked to change companies. Additionally, anyone who is on federally-funded insurance such as Medicaid or Medicare and still qualifies for those programs will not be removed from their insurance. They will still be covered and protected. In order to find out more about the Act and really understand its main points and principles, however, it is very important to be aware of how it became a law and any changes that have taken place to it from its inception all the way through where it is today. Only then can a person have a clear understanding of the Act and form an opinion as to the value it may (or may not) provide to the American public. There is still much speculation and a great deal of misunderstanding about the Act and what it involves.

After reading the Just The Facts excerpt and the case of McDowell V. Krawchison, I would have to say that I believe this employer violated COBRA. It is stated in the textbook that, “The COBRA requires that employers who have group health insurance plans and at least twenty employees offer continuation coverage to employees (and other beneficiaries if there is family coverage) who experience qualifying events that would otherwise cause the loss of their health insurance.” (Walsh, Pg. 486).

The second way is for employers to utilize the health benefits laws self-compliance tools. There are two major sections listed under this link, HIPPA and other health care-related provisions and the affordable care act provisions. Employers can be used to compare the provisions of their plan to ensure they are compliant with HIPPA, affordable care act, and other health care-related provisions.

Once the foundation of the U.S. health care system was reviewed, we began our study of the new regulations. The Affordable Care Act contained three main provisions. The first provision was expanding Health Insurance Coverage. Elements of the regulation included offering coverage to the vast majority of currently uninsured Americans by expanding access to Medicaid to cover all non-elderly individuals below 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), and establishing state-based health insurance exchanges, which will offer Americans a range of private health plan options, with federal tax

Congress enacted COBRA as a provision of ERISA to provide continued coverage for those who have lost their employment, including terminated employees; this law is also responsible for amending the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act. The three main elements to qualify for COBRA are specific criteria regarding plans, qualified beneficiaries, and qualifying events. Group health plans for any employer who has 20+ employees for more than half the fiscal year is subject to COBRA. Qualified beneficiaries outlined by COBRA include any individual covered by the plan, including the employees spouse and dependent children; qualifying events are outlined by COBRA and specific causes for loss of health coverage that makes individuals eligible for benefits. COBRA is also used to notify, track, and document facets of compliance in accordance with outlined statutes.

The law that has had the greatest impact on the largest number of organizations as discussed in Chapter 2 is the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act(COBRA) of 1985.COBRA requires the continuation of health coverage to be offered to employees and their dependents when group health coverage is would otherwise not be available.

Obamacare may be one of the most debatable topics at the moment ever since 2010. For those who are still confused on what Obamacare is and how it works is understandable and common amongst Americans. Obamacare is also known as the Affordable Care Act. It can be summed up as a law that ensures every American has access to health insurance that is affordable and within their budget. This is done by offering people discounts on government-sponsored health insurance plans, and by expanding the Medicaid assistance program so they include more people who can’t afford health care. In order for someone to qualify for Obamacare they must have an insurance plan that covers at least ten essential services that pertain