The United States health care system is in the midst of the most drastic change to occur since the creation of the Medicare program in 1965. These changes are so significant that all business organizations will be impacted by these new laws in some way. Some are facing challenges so daunting they may be driven out of business, while others have an opportunity to benefit from a number of the financial incentives created.

Our Health Care Reform Task Force is assisting a number of businesses in understanding the many complexities of the new laws including regulations that are not yet fully developed along with their many different implementation timelines.

We are working with clients to help increase their readiness level and ability to proactively address costly impacts and uncover opportunities for financial gain. Specific services include assessment of business strategy and planning process to identify:

• eligibility for federal funding and financial incentives including tax credits and grants,
• new cost burdens including tax requirements,
• approaches for dealing with new compliance reporting requirements,
• key considerations for business strategy decisions (i.e. start-up, divesture, spin-off, etc.), and
• opportunities to advocate with federal policy makers where new requirements and regulations have not yet been written.

For more information on our assessment services, please contact Corey Garver at corey.garver@bakerd.com.

Although the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act ("PPACA") was signed into law on March 23, 2010, there are still many areas where the final regulations and requirements have not yet been formed at both the state and federal levels.  As a result, there are still many opportunities to shape the rulemaking process as the new law is being implemented.
The professionals of Baker & Daniels and B&D Consulting are meeting a variety of clients’ legislative and regulatory needs at both the state and federal levels. Some of the specific state governmental services we provide include:

• Develop and execute stakeholder strategies aimed at shaping the implementation of health care reform at the state level;
• Assist health care providers, health insurers and other stakeholders in developing and implementing effective advocacy strategies for health care reform issues pending before state General Assemblies and agencies such as the Family and Social Services Administration for Indiana and other states; and
• Advise clients on compliance issues and funding opportunities.

Some of the specific federal legislative services we offer include:

• Develop and execute strategies to advocate with policy makers in Washington for changes in the law during implementation and the rulemaking process;
• Provide detailed guidance and counsel to ensure stakeholder compliance with new insurance, fraud and regulatory tax requirements; and

Develop and execute strategies to assist with pursuing funding and grant opportunities (i.e. application process, etc.).

For more details on our complete legislative services, see these practice groups: State Government Services, Federal Government Relations

Benefits compliance and regulations are becoming increasingly complex now that major reform has hit the U.S. health care system. Baker & Daniels’ employee benefits and executive compensation professionals are helping employers and service providers stay abreast of the constantly changing guidelines and regulations under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (PPACA) — and the impact on their companies. Employers are asking many questions about their particular situation, including:

• Do they need to provide health insurance coverage for all employees?
• Are they exempt from any or all of the new requirements because of grandfathered status?
• Do they need to make changes to existing plans if they are self-insured?
• How are PPACA effective dates affected by collective bargaining agreements?
• What new reporting and notice requirements apply to plan sponsors and plan administrators?

To help employers understand the latest guidelines and regulations, Baker & Daniels developed the Health Reform Q&A for Employers. Our professionals are continually monitoring and updating dialogue on typical employer questions and offering interpretation of the new laws and regulations. We hope you bookmark the Q&A or register for an RSS feed to help you stay informed on the latest information impacting the employee benefits world. For more details on our complete employee benefits and executive compensation services, see these practice groups: Benefits & Executive Compensation, Labor & Employment

Contacts: Gayle Skolnik, Mike Nader, Mike MacLean