Getting a handle on the ACA’s “play or pay” provision

Description

Abstract: Next year, “large” employers will have to comply with what’s come to be known as the “play or pay” provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For now, they will need to collect data on the makeup of their workforces and the health care benefits they offer — all of which is necessary to comply with the ACA. If they fall short, they then must decide whether it makes sense to boost their health care coverage or risk the penalties of not doing so — that is, to “play or pay.” This article discusses the act’s definition of a “large” employer and how to meet ACA requirements to avoid penalties. A sidebar explains how those penalties work.