Will the employer assessment change in 2014?

The Administration is not proposing a change in the employer assessment for 2014. The federal Affordable Care Act is changing some of the ways we access – and pay for - health care in Vermont, but the philosophy that health care is a shared responsibility is not changing. Businesses, individuals and families all contribute to the cost of health care in the current system and will all continue to do so in 2014 and beyond.

This is not to say that all contribute equally. In fact, businesses that provide health care spend an average of more than $550 per enrolled employee each month. Businesses that contribute via the employer assessment, on the other hand, pay less than $40 per month ($476 per year).
Nonetheless, the current law is a step toward a level playing field between employers who offer health coverage and those who don’t. It also serves to support affordable access to health coverage for low- and middle income Vermonters. Current law applies to employers who 1) do not offer insurance at all, 2) do not offer insurance to all employees, or 3) offer insurance, but the employee(s) doesn’t enroll and is uninsured.