Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars for Small Employers

SBA, the Department of Health Human and Services, and Small Business Majority have teamed up for a free weekly webinar series where small employers can learn the basics of the Affordable Care Act and what it means for their organization and employees. Topics covered include cost containment, the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit, the new Health Insurance Marketplace, and Employer Shared Responsibility. Webinar content will generally be the same each week. Below are the registration links for upcoming webinars in English.

• Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 2:00 PM ET: Click to Register
• Thursday, March 19, 2015 at 2:00 PM ET: Click to Register
• Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 2:00 PM ET: Click to Register

To view an audio recording of the ACA 101 webinar, click here

Spanish-language ACA 101 Webinars

• Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 4:00 PM ET: Click to Register
• Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 4:00 PM ET: Click to Register

The Health Insurance Marketplace

The Marketplace is a new way to find quality health coverage. It can help self-employed individuals and small business owners if you don’t have coverage now or if you have it but want to look at other options. States have the option of running their own Marketplace, partnering with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to partially run the Marketplace, or opting for a Marketplace run by HHS.

Insurance plans in the Marketplace are offered by private companies. They all cover the same essential health benefits. No plan can turn you away or charge you more because you or your employees have an illness or medical condition. They must cover treatments for these conditions. Plans also can't charge women more than men for the same plan, and many preventive services are covered at no cost to you.

Small employer? Enrollment in the small employer Marketplace, known as “SHOP”, is year-round. Learn more about the SHOP Marketplace in your state by visiting Healthcare.gov. For questions about SHOP, call 1-800-706-7893 (TTY: 711) Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. EST.

Self Employed? If you’re self-employed with no employees and looking for coverage, 2015 open enrollment is now closed. To learn more about special enrollment periods, visit HealthCare.gov.

Glossary of Key Health Care Reform Terms

For definitions of key health care reform terms, consult this glossary of key terms provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Law, Regulations, and Related Guidance

Read the full text of the Affordable Care Act or browse and download the law by section. Regulations and guidance are used to implement many of the Affordable Care Act provisions that address both private and public health insurance. Many of these can be found at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight.

The Internal Revenue Service is responsible for tax provisions of the Affordable Care Act that will be implemented during the next several years. You can find a list of provisions now in effect, with periodic updates, from the IRS.

Affordable Care Act Training Materials