The Affordable Care Act (ACA) to ask the small Business Health options program (SHOP Marketplace) small businesses with more options for their health plan. The rollout of the SHOP marketplace, however, has its share of obstacles, changes are faced, and delays. The SHOP marketplace is still not working for small businesses.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has recently published a report on factors that have lead to the low enrollment rates in the SHOP market programs.
The analysis is based on case study interviews with insiders (brokers, agents, small business representatives and use assistive ters) in eight states, including Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Iceland.
4 reasons SHOP market is not for small businesses work
by RWJF analysis, there are four major obstacles to the enrollment SHOP.
1 delays the SHOP program
There have been several delays in the implementation of SHOP market program and its features, including:
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the "employee dial" feature, which provides employees a menu of plans in the 33 states to choose delayed was that in 2014 small businesses were a used federally run SHOP marketplace in these states defines a single plan by federally run SHOP to offer Market.
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18 of the 32 states with federally-run SHOP marketplace in 2015 from the "Staff Pick" decided feature to limit the healthcare plan choices for small business back in 2015
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During the first open enrollment period online registration has been delayed (see below).
2. Limited reach of small employer tax credits
Although the small employer tax credit sounds appealing, according to RWJF analysis, the small employer tax credit "has been shown to be largely irrelevant (except with some exceptions) to be. "
The requirements for small employer health insurance tax credits can be very strict and specific. The credit is only available to employers with fewer than 25 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees, their employees to pay an average wage of less than $ 50,000 per employee annually.
In addition, the credit is only for no more than two consecutive years. The report points out that "for substantial loans come into consideration because of the close alignment of credit and the phase-out schedule, a few employers." finish
3. Low Number of brokers / agents steering their clients plans SHOP
must order a new certified agents, agents and brokers the annual Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) training program , The small number of brokers to their customers control plans SHOP was partly due to insufficient training opportunities.
After analyzing RWJF "Brokers often felt that the training did not they adequately prepare you for the use of SHOP interface, sometimes adding to the time needed to register a client because the broker via the website with little to no understanding of the system. "
4 had to work. IT problems with the shop program
Shortly before the acceptance of new members in the last year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the online enrollment for the federally run Small Business SHOP marketplace would delay until 2014 small businesses wanting small group health insurance through the store had paper applications through a certified health insurance producer.
The RWJF analysis points out ". In some cases, the IT problems were serious enough to enroll that they are all but prohibited enrollment" Enrollees in Maryland and Oregon could not enroll online; SHOP plans could be obtained Choices
only through a broker without employees. Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
outlined more problems with the SHOP marketplace
In addition to the questions of RWJF, there are three key issues with the SHOP marketplaces. Small businesses hoped the SHOP market them affordable help health benefits that the employee would provide value. But instead .:
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The competition is low in the SHOP Exchanges (ie in most states, there is little choice for employees, and little competition to reduce costs)
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premiums cost more in the SHOP market than on the individual health insurance market (ie the premium cost is still prohibitive for most small businesses).
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are premium subsidies only in the individual exchanges (ie more cost incentive, employees on the individual market to send).
the core issues with the SHOP market Weil and the new possibilities to the individual health insurance market, passing up many small businesses are the SHOP in favor of individual health insurance. Since employers with less than 50 FTE employees subject to the employer mandate, most small businesses see the benefits of individual health insurance and allowing employees to choose their own health plan of the individual health insurance marketplace.
to continue a competitive health benefits, small companies are to report to a premium refund plan offers employees for individual health insurance premiums. In a recent white paper, we expect that 60 percent of small businesses will benefit from an employer contribution to individual health plans by 2017.
Did you see the trend of small businesses traditional employer eliminate sponsored health notices skipping the SHOP in favor of individual health insurance and premium refund? Leave a comment below.
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