Current Policies For Small Businesses, Individuals May Not Meet Health Law Standards

The Associated Press: Like Your Health Care Policy? You May Be Losing It
Many people who buy their own health insurance could get surprises in the mail this fall: cancellation notices because their current policies aren't up to the basic standards of President Barack Obama's health care law. They, and some small businesses, will have to find replacement plans — and that has some state insurance officials worried about consumer confusion (Alonso-Zaldivar, 5/29).

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal offers a collection of articles and video examining the issue of insurance faced by small businesses.

The Wall Street Journal: How 3 Small Firms Are Coping With Health Law
Small employers across the U.S. are struggling to get a handle on their health care costs under the Affordable Care Act. ... Owners with between 50 and 200 full-time employees are in a particularly tough spot. These businesses are big enough to meet the government's threshold for penalties, but they lack the purchasing power to negotiate the best rates with insurers. ... Here's a look at how three small employers are bracing for the change (Maltby and Needleman, 5/29).

Wall Street Journal: What Health Care Law Will Cost Small Companies (Video)
Companies with fifty or more full-time employees will soon have choices to make to comply with the Affordable Care Act. WSJ’s Jason Bellini breaks down the options (Bellini, 5/29).

The Wall Street Journal: Insurance Bills Could Fall For Some Firms
Many small employers worry their costs may rise sharply under the health law next year. But for some—particularly those with older workers or employees who have been very sick—costs may in fact come down, business owners and insurance brokers say. Under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, which goes into force in January, insurers will be barred from setting rates for health-care coverage based on how healthy—or unhealthy—employers or their workers are at businesses with fewer than 50 or 100 workers, depending on the state (Loten, 5/29).

The Wall Street Journal: Small Firms Bring Workers Into Loop On Health Law
Some small employers, including Brian Gleason of Goodlettsville, Tenn., aren't waiting until fall to talk to their workers about the higher costs they expect to face under the health-care law—and what steps they might take to cope. ... Explaining well in advance why benefits may have to change in 2014 is a smart step for employers because "otherwise, rumors get created," says George T. Solomon, an associate management professor at George Washington University in Washington. "The more [business owners] can show the cost to their bottom line, the more likely their employees will understand," he says. But striking the right tone can be difficult, because owners don't want risk scaring off loyal employees (Needleman, 5/29).

The Associated Press: Small Firms Try Health Alternatives
Small business owners continue to struggle to provide traditional health care benefits to their workers, but some are providing other unusual perks, as an alternative, to help attract and retain employees. A new report released Wednesday by Bank of America found that only 33 percent of the small business owners it surveyed provide traditional health benefits (5/29).