September 13, 2013
As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), all employers must provide notice to new hires and current employees about their state’s health insurance marketplace, also known as the insurance exchange, which will be in operation by 2014. In Colorado, the exchange is called Connect for Health Colorado. Open enrollment under the exchange begins on Oct. 1, 2013.
The insurance exchange offers “one-stop shopping” to find and compare private health insurance options for individuals. Subsidies are also offered to assist those with lower income levels. Health insurance open enrollment coverage through the exchange starts in October 2013 for coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2014.
The U.S. Department of Labor has developed notices that employers can use to comply with the notification requirements under Section 18B of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- If you are an employer that does NOT offer a health plan, download this notice and provide it to your current and future employees: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/FLSAwithoutplans.pdf.
- If you are an employer that DOES offer a health plan, download this notice and provide it to your current and future employees: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/pdf/FLSAwithplans.pdf.
Employers have the option of using the forms linked above or a modified version provided the notice meets the content requirement described in Section 18B of FLSA. For additional information concerning these requirements, visit http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/newsroom/tr13-02.html.
Employers must provide the notice about the insurance exchange to both new hires and current employees as follows:
New Hires: Notice must be provided at the time of hiring starting Oct. 1, 2013. If notice was not able to be provided at the time of hire, it must be given within 14 days of the employee’s start date.
Current Employees (employed prior to Oct. 1, 2013): Notification must be provided no later than Oct. 1, 2013.