Health Care

Over the past three years, Americans have taken full advantage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s annual Open Enrollment Period (OEP). This is the official window in which people are able to select and purchase ACA-compliant health insurance plans. By all accounts, the OEPs are successful, with the final estimates for the 2016 OEP showing that 12.7 million Americans signed ... Read Full Article ›

The start of 2016 has signaled another achievement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As of Dec. 31, 2015, more than 8.5 million Americans have purchased health coverage during this latest 2016 Open Enrollment Period (OEP). As 6 million of these were policy renewals, this supports the Obama administration’s estimates of as many as 14.7 million ACA enrollees by the ... Read Full Article ›

In 2015, Florida achieved an impressive milestone, as the state’s population reached 20.27 million. The Sunshine State now ranks as the third most-populous, trailing only California and Texas. Additionally, for the first time in a decade, Florida gained more people than California; 365,703, or more than 1,000 residents a day. This population growth illustrates the state’s appeal, whether for employment, ... Read Full Article ›

The 2016 Open Enrollment Period (OEP) began on Nov. 1, 2015, and runs through Jan. 31, 2016. Come February, those Americans who have not enrolled in an approved health insurance plan, whether through the Federal Marketplace or a private company, may face an IRS-imposed tax penalty. Fortunately, the Obama Administration has made provisions, in the form of a Special Enrollment ... Read Full Article ›

With the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) third Open Enrollment Period well underway, recent reports suggest another successful sign-up period. As of Nov. 25, the OEP’s third week, an estimated 1.6 million Americans have enrolled coverage through HealthCare.gov. And more promising news is that about one-third (500,000) of these enrollees were new customers. These results are an indication that the 2016 ... Read Full Article ›

Ways To Improve Your 2015 / 2016 Health Insurance Open Enrollment Experience Whether your state relies on the federal facilitated Marketplace or its own exchange, you will soon have to make decisions about insurance coverage. The 2016 annual Open Enrollment Period (OEP) runs from Nov. 1, 2015, through Jan. 31, 2016. Coverage begins on Jan. 1, 2016, if you enroll ... Read Full Article ›

California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on July 7, 2014 that excused small businesses in California from complying with the employer mandate requirements under the Affordable Care Act for another year, until 2016. Under the original version of the Affordable Care Act, President Obama wanted the employer mandates to take effect in 2014. That deadline was pushed back until ... Read Full Article ›

Hobby Lobby VS. Obamacare On June 30, 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States returned a verdict in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. stating that for-profit corporations like Hobby Lobby are not required to pay for and provide contraception through the insurance policies that they fund for their employees because it violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The ... Read Full Article ›

Question: I expect $45,000 in self-employed income for my family of four this year, qualifying me for substantial government subsidies through the Affordable Care Act exchange. What happens if my actual earnings are just as expected until Dec. 31, 2014, when I realize an involuntary capital gain because a company that I own a stake in gets bought out by ... Read Full Article ›