The Affordable Care Act and Franchisees

Joel Libava
Wed, 09 Oct 2013 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re a franchisee, a franchise business owner, now’s the time to find out how your business will be affected by the Affordable Care Act. Read about the recent changes to the ACA here.

But, where should you begin? Read on.

The SBA website

Did you know that SBA.gov, the Small Business Administration’s website, has an entire section devoted to the Affordable Care Act?

There’s also a glossary of terms, timelines, and as an added bonus, a link to the entire text of the Affordable Care Act—the actual law as it’s currently written.

A new tool for franchisees

If you’re confused about the new health care reform laws, there’s a new tool in town. And, it’s going to help you figure out what you and your employees will need to do. From the SBA website:

“We’re excited to announce a new, streamlined health care tool for businesses – housed at Business.USA.gov—to help you find out exactly what you and your employees need to know about the Affordable Care Act. Business.USA.gov leverages the resources of our partners across the federal government to ensure that business owners get comprehensive information and easy-to-use tools related to range of topics, including health care.”–Karen Mills, SBA Administrator

So, what will this new tool do to help you figure out where your franchise business stands, and what you and your employees need to start doing?

According to information posted on SBA.gov, this new tool can help you understand what you need to know about new insurance options and other healthcare changes as well as find healthcare-related resources that are relevant to your business.

Here’s how:

“The tool uses various prompts including your business’s location, size, and whether you currently offer insurance to connect you with the resources you need from Small Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Treasury and our other federal partners. For example, if you’re a small business owner in Oregon with 35 full-time employees who already offers insurance and wants to continue the coverage you currently use, the health care tool can use this information to connect you with the best resources and information available to help inform your plans.”

The Affordable Care Act and franchisees

The ACA has been talked about, debated, and used politically ever since it became law in 2010. That’s right; the ACA was signed into law almost three years ago!

From the Department of Health and Human Services website:

“In March 2010, President Obama signed comprehensive health reform, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), into law. The law makes preventive care—including family planning and related services—more accessible and affordable for many Americans. While some provisions of the law have already taken effect, many more provisions will be implemented in the coming years.”

Franchisees: We are in the coming years. It’s time to get things together as they relate to the Affordable Care Act, for your franchise business and for your employees.

It’s the law.