The Affordable Care Act Legislation and Small Businesses In New York State

February 19, 2013 – With the 2014 roll-out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA or “ObamaCare”) less than a year away, business owners are scrambling to understand what it means for them. Small businesses in New York State, specifically Asian American owned businesses, can now go to one online portal for relevant information on ACA.
 
Created by the Asian American Business Development Center, the Asian American Small Businesses and Health Reform information portal (www.aabdc.com) provides basic, easy to understand information for Asian American small business owners regarding

a) proposed policy changes;
b) the potential impact of ACA;
c) planning for the long term needs of their business and employees.
 
The goal of the ACA is to provide access to affordable and quality health care coverage to more Americans.  It entails a number of gradual reforms that are being enacted between 2010 and 2014. These reforms will take place on the federal, state, and community levels and will affect individuals, healthcare professionals, and business owners. Since 2010, New York State has been moving forward with reform requirements in preparation for its roll-out in 2014. The AABDC health reform information portal is part of that effort. The project was funded by Macy’s Foundationand Pfizer.
 
The AABDC health reform information portal provides up-to-date information about requirement mandates, tax benefits, state insurance exchanges, and continued policy developments at the state and federal levels. It answers basic questions: Are you required to provide health insurance coverage for your employees? Are you eligible for a federal tax credit if you do provide health coverage? Can you keep your current coverage?
 
The healthcare portal Website offers online consulting services. The Asian American Business Development Center encourages the community to visit its Website to post comments and view expert explanations.