April 27, 2010

HR Articles and Online Resources for Healthcare Reform

By Staff Writer

How much do you know about the new health care legislation? As the owner or HR professional at your company, it’s important that you become a reliable resource. There is a lot to learn and few people understand all of the changes coming. Fortunately, while government workers in D.C and around the nation sort out how to implement the new health care legislation, experts and analysts are writing HR articles on what it includes and how the changes might impact your business.

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The following is a round-up of the current HR articles, opinion pieces and information sources you can peruse to get more up to date on health care reform.

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Passage of Health Care Reform Will Change Game for Employers

What will health care reform bring for employers in the short and long term? In this article from Employment Law Post you can find out what possible fines, taxes and reforms you should be aware of, and what additional changes may be coming in the future.

Is Health Care Coverage for Domestic Partners Still Taxed?

The New York Times is offering a series of question and answer columns where you can write in with questions about health care reform and they will be answered by health care journalist Michelle Andrews. The question above is one that HR practitioners could certainly hear from employees at their company.

What Does the Health Care Bill Mean to Me?

The Washington Post has created a calculator that allows your employees to determine how the new laws will affect their household bottom line. Employees can enter information about their age, income, location and family size to find out what their financial gain or loss may be. You can also try out this tool and enter different scenarios to find out, in advance, your employees’ possible outcomes.

Report: Health Overhaul Will Increase Tab

Experts at the Health and Human Services Department have reviewed the health care bill and, while they agree that it will improve health insurance coverage in the U.S., with 34 million more Americans getting coverage, they doubt that the strategy to pay for it will work out as planned. Cost-cutting measures, like Medicare cuts, a tax on high-cost insurance and special commissions designed to find additional Medicare savings, are unlikely to be sufficient.

FAQ from the White House Website

President Obama’s White House website has created a list of answers to common questions about health care reform. The topics include how government is planning to pay for the reform efforts, what an “insurance exchange” is and whether or not medical procedures are going to be “rationed” under the plan. The site offers more resources and information, including an online quiz to test your knowledge about the legislation.

Uncertainty Reigns on Healthcare Reform

The website HR Executive Online offers a list of the HR issues that professionals need to be aware of in the next six months as the new legislation rolls out. The article points out that it will take years for the reforms in the bill to take their full effect so staying in the loop and up to date as reforms are enacted will be an ongoing task for HR professionals and employers.

The Hidden HR Hurdles of Health Care Reform

In a brief blog post in Business Management Daily, you can find out how the new healthcare legislation affects the workplace in terms of health insurance benefits and W-2s, breastfeeding at work and background checks for healthcare workers.

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