There is a big PR problem brewing, one receiving very little attention in the media or industry publications. One that I think will resonate among those who typically support the politicians who supported the Affordable Care Act. 

The issue stems from the delay in the 1094/1095 reporting under section 6055 and 6056 of the IRS code specifically created under the Affordable Care Act.  For those who don't live in this world as I do, this is the carrier and employer required reporting that lets the government know if an offer of coverage was made to a particular employee, if it met certain coverage requirements, and if it was "affordable" according to one of several calculations set forth by the bill.  If an "applicable large employer" does not report or does not meet the minimum requirements, there are serious fines at play.  The first requirement to do this, barring any further delays, is by March 31st to report on all of 2015 (this was originally supposed to be done for 2014, but was delayed because of the burden on employers). 

Why is this important?  Well, the big lure of the Obamacare-established exchanges are the subsidies available to help reduce the out-of-pocket costs.  The subsidy amount is based on the household income in relation to the federal poverty level.  However, it is also predicated on your job not offering coverage that provides a certain base level of coverage and meets the aforementioned affordability test.  With the absence of the employer reporting, however, the government has thus far relied strictly on the self-reported nature of the coverage level and affordability of any employer sponsored plan available to individuals in the exchange. 

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