Another Obamacare deadline is looming, this time for individuals who hire part-time workers to do domestic work at a residence.
The New York based certified public accounting firm Margolin, Winer & Evens LLP (MWE) notified its clients recently:
We are writing to inform you of an important health care reform requirement for virtually all U.S. employers. By October 1, 2013, employers are required to provide written notice to all existing employees including domestic employees, regardless of benefit enrollment status or full- or part-time status, about the federal and state Health Insurance Marketplaces (also known as “exchanges”). After October 1, 2013, employers will be required to provide the notice to new employees within 14 days of their hire date.
The MWE newsletter discusses the issue further, describing the requirements and steps an employer must take. An individual who employs a part-time employee, like a domestic worker, must “inform employees of the existence of the ‘Health Insurance Marketplace,’ and include a description of the services it provides and how employees can contact the Marketplace to request assistance.”
These requirements, like other Obamacare regulations, may change given the fight on Capitol Hill to defund the health care law. In a virtual party-line vote, the House voted to defund Obamacare in a continuing resolution on Friday.
The employer mandate for businesses of 50 or more employees was delayed until 2015. However, according to Forbes, the delay has only exacerbated the problem of businesses complying with the law.