Should we play or pay? Employers with over 50 employees are trying to figure out how to deal with the Affordable Care Act's "employer mandate" which requires applicable large employers to either offer health insurance, or else pay a tax penalty.

Last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a set of frequently asked questions on the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP)-only marketplaces. The SHOP Marketplaces are the small business group health insurance exchanges required in each state per the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers are required to notify their employees of the coverage options available through the new Health Insurance Exchanges ("Marketplaces"). Originally, employers were required to notify employees by March 1, 2013. However, the employer ACA Marketplace requirement was delayed in January. Employers are now required to notify employees by October 1, 2013.

Most small businesses don't understand health care reform laws or the Health Insurance Exchanges, and most are concerned that health insurance prices will go up the next few years. These are a few key findings from eHealth's recent "Small Employer Health Insurance Survey (March 2013)." The survey was conducted in February 2013 and surveyed 260 small employers (all with less than 50 employees).

The October 1, 2013 open enrollment of the Health Insurance Marketplaces is right around the corner. The mantra of the Marketplaces is "Choice, Competition and Clout for States."  But which insurance carriers will offer health insurance plans in the Marketplaces? Will there be enough choice for individuals and small businesses? Will there be enough competition to keep prices low for individuals and small businesses?

With health care reform, a common question is does my employer have to provide health insurance? Not necessarily. The health care reform law, called the Affordable Care Act (ACA), requires certain employers to purchase health insurance or else pay a tax penalty.

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a much-anticipated statement and Q&A on the role of agents, brokers, and web-brokers in the health insurance Marketplaces.

A common question we receive about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is: "If my spouse receives insurance through his/her workplace, but family coverage is too expensive, can family members access health insurance subsidies through the health insurance marketplaces?"

One of the key goals of the Affordable Care Act, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, is "increasing access to affordable care," where "millions of Americans gain new access to more affordable health coverage and care." But how many Americans are really uninsured, and where do Americans get their health insurance?

Based on data from the US Census and Kaiser Family Foundation, we've provided a summary of how many non-elderly Americans are uninsured (as of 2011), where Americans get their health insurance, and how health care reform fits into the picture.

How does health care reform work? Here's a simple infographic that breaks down how health care reform works, the philosophy of guaranteed-issue policies and how much health care reform costs.