Small-business hike put at 5.6%

Covered California's small-business operation seems to be riding out the health-care storm, announcing premium increases of only 5.6 percent for the upcoming year. That's down slightly from the 5.9 percent hike of 2017. Individual Obamacare premiums in California are expected to rise 12.5 percent for 2018. About 36,000 state residents get their health insurance via the small-business operation, which covers employees of companies ... (More)

Small business rules amended

President Obama has signed legislation that makes a significant change in the health law's small business rules, following a rare bipartisan effort to amend the health law. The revision updates the definition of "small employer" under the health law so that companies with 51 to 100 workers will not become subject to the small group insurance reform provisions next year. Instead, the new law allows those companies to continue as large ... (More)

Health extension for small business

Small businesses in California have won another year to update their employee health insurance to policies that are in full compliance with the Affordable Care Act. The employers had been required to move by the end of the year to plans that met the minimum standards under the Affordable Care Act. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones noted that many small employers would upgrade to new policies anyway, but the new law "provides ... (More)

Small-biz health plans unveiled

Small businesses aren't required to provide health insurance to workers in 2014, but they might want to after checking out the rates, plans and subsidies offered by Covered California. The state's health insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act unveiled its slate of insurers and rates for the small-group market. California's individual insurance plans under Obamacare were detailed in late May. All of the health insurance ... (More)

State shrugs off large-business delay

The delay of fines against large employers who don't provide health care for workers won't affect the opening of the state exchanges for individual insurance, officials say. Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said the move wouldn't have a lasting effect on the Affordable Care Act, pointing out that more than "92 percent of California employers with more than 50 employees already offer health insurance to their employees ... even ... (More)