What types of businesses do you expect to keep offering coverage? What types will drop?

A village market staffed by lower and middle-income employees (up to 400% of federal poverty level, or household income of $94,200 for a family if four) might consider dropping coverage in order to allow the employees to take advantage of federal tax credits. A law firm with high-income partners, on the other hand, might decide to continue their employer-sponsored insurance. Businesses with a mix of employee incomes will have a tougher decision. These businesses will likely want to consult Vermont Health Connect’s decision tools, such as the Small Employer Estimator, or have a certified Navigator or registered brokers walk through the process of deciding what is best for each of their particular situations.

My business qualifies as a small business. Should I offer coverage to my employees, or not?

For the 47% of Vermont small businesses that offer insurance, the keep-drop question is a critical one. Unfortunately, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. The State cannot determine what is best for your business and your employees. Vermont Health Connect offers tools such as the Small Employer Estimator to help you decide whether to renew group coverage. If you decide to renew, these tools – along with certified Navigators and registered brokers – can help you determine which plans to renew and how to do it. Visit Vermont Health Connect’s website for more information. If you are among the 53% of Vermont small businesses that don’t offer insurance, you are able to use these same tools to decide whether to start offering employer sponsored insurance through the Exchange. What other questions should I ask as I decide whether to keep or drop coverage? Here are some major questions for an employer to consider: Do you offer insurance today? How much do you spend today on insurance? How much do your employees spend on insurance today? Would your employees be better off purchasing insurance through VHC than under your current plan? Would you be subject to the federal penalty? Cost? Would you be subject to a state assessment? Cost?

Who counts as a seasonal employee?

Seasonal employees are defined as employees who work fewer than 120 days during the year.

How can I determine if my business qualifies to use Vermont Health Connect?

For the purposes of qualifying to use Vermont Health Connect in 2014, a business is a small business if it employs 50 or fewer full-time employees. An employee is a full-time employee if she works 30 or more hours per week. Anyone who works less than 30 hours per week is not counted.

I need help understanding Vermont Health Connect and how it works.

How do I know which plan is right for my business and/or my employees?

I've heard that many businesses are required to tell their employees about health insurance options before October 1, but I'm not sure 1) if this requirement applies to my business, 2) what exactly I'm supposed to tell my employees, and 3) whether this means that I need to decide this month whether to offer coverage in 2014?

VermontHealthConnect.gov can help you answer all three questions.  First of all, yes, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires applicable employers to provide employees with a written notice of their health insurance coverage options by October 1, 2013. Our Employee Notices page explains which businesses are subject to the requirement.

Regarding what the notice needs to include, our Employee Notices page has a list of requirements as well as links to sample notices for you to download and adapt.

Finally, rest assured that you are not are not required to declare if you will be offering insurance in 2014, only what you are currently offering. While we encourage you to make your decision about 2014 coverage over the course of the next several weeks in order to give your employees plenty of time to make their decisions, you certainly don't have to make this decision by October 1 and you are not required by the FLSA to do so.
 

FLSA Employee Notices: healthconnect.vermont.gov/notices

More Vermont Health Connect FAQs: healthconnect.vermont.gov/about_us/faq