 
Week Ten – March 22, 2013
Week Six – February 22, 2013
Week Five - February 15, 2013
Week Four - February 8, 2013
Week Two - January 25, 2013
Week One - January 18, 2013
Top Three Things Small Businesses Should Know About the Affordable Care Act
by Meredith Olafson, Community Moderator, U.S. Small Business Administration
The Affordable Care Act will help small businesses by lowering premium cost growth and increasing access to quality, affordable health insurance. Depending on whether you’re a small employer or a larger employer, different provisions of the Affordable Care Act may apply to you as described below.
1. Businesses with Fewer than 25 Employees- Small Business Tax Credits
The Affordable Care Act does not require that businesses provide health insurance, but it offers tax credits for eligible small businesses that choose to provide insurance to their employees. To qualify for a small business tax credit of up to 35% (up to 25% for non-profits), you must have:
- Fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees
- Pay average annual wages below $50,000
- Contribute 50% or more toward employee health insurance premiums
Beginning in 2014, this tax credit goes up to 50% (35% for non-profits) and is available to qualified small businesses who participate in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Exchanges.
2. Businesses with 50 or Fewer Employees- Affordable Insurance Marketplaces
The Affordable Care Act does not require that businesses provide health insurance, but beginning in 2014, small businesses with generally 50 or fewer employees will be able to purchase coverage through SHOP , competitive marketplaces where small employers can go to find health coverage from a selection of providers. The SHOP Marketplaces and Individual Marketplaces for those who are self-employed open on January 1, 2014. Open enrollment begins on October 1, 2013. SHOP will offer small businesses increased purchasing power similar to that of large businesses.
3. Businesses with 50 or More Employees- Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions
Under the Affordable Care Act, the Federal government, State governments, insurers, employers, and individuals share the responsibility to reform and improve the availability, quality, and affordability of health insurance coverage in the United States. Employers are not required to provide coverage to their employees under the Affordable Care Act. However, beginning in 2014, businesses with 50 or more full-time employees (or full-time equivalents) that do not offer affordable health insurance that provides a minimum level of coverage to substantially all of their full-time employees (and their dependents) may be subject to an employer shared responsibility payment if at least one of their full-time employees receives a premium tax credit to purchase coverage in an insurance Marketplace. A full-time employee is generally one who is employed an average of 30 or more hours per week.
If you meet or are close to this threshold level of full-time employees, it’s important to understand how these rules may apply to you and how the employer shared responsibility payments could be triggered. For more guidance on the employer shared responsibility payments, refer to this FAQ from the IRS.
Arkansas WIC EBT Planning Activities
August 15, 2012
EBT Planning – Timeline
• Planning Contractor – May 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010
• Formation of eWIC Vendor Team – May 6, 2010
• Feasibility/Cost Evaluation Study Approval – July 28, 2011
• Pilot Grant Funding Awarded – August 4, 2011 [valid 8/15/2011 – 9/30/2013]
• Implementation Advanced Planning Document (IAPD) – Approved July 2012
• ADH/WIC EBT Test Lab Construction – In Progress
• EBT Project Implementation Contractor RFP – In Progress
• EBT Quality Assurance Contractor – In Progress
• EBT Claims Processor RFP – In Progress
• WIC MIS System Development for EBT – In Progress
• EBT Card Design/Acquire IIN (Issuer Identification Number) – In Progress
• EBT Systems Testing and USDA FNS Approvals [fall 2013]
• Retailer System Certifications [begin late 2013, ongoing through statewide
EBT expansion]
• EBT Pilot in Miller County [January - April 2014]
• EBT Pilot Cost Evaluation Study submitted to USDA FNS [May 2014]
• Statewide Expansion Funding Approval – Pending approval of EBT Pilot
Project Cost Evaluation Study [expected 5/31/2014]
• Retailer/Clinic/Participant Rollout Schedule
[15 phases from 6/1/2014 to 3/31/2015]
• Statewide Expansion [through March 2015]
 Preliminary AR WIC EBT Expansion Plan
TSYS Merchant Solutions is hosting on-demand webcasts.
This months on-demand webcast is on Chargebacks: Disputes & Chargebacks, Tips You Can’t Afford to Avoid. Managing chargebacks continues to be a significant and growing cost for merchants of all sizes. Join this Webcast to see how you can you thwart chargebacks.
Visit TSYS Merchant Solutions On-Demand Webcasts
TSYS Merchant Solutions will be publishing more webcasts soon, so check TSYS Payment Perspectives often.
Share Your Good News With Us!
Have something going on in your business that other people might like to hear about?
AGRMA has set up an area on our website called “Noteworthy.” It’s a spot where you can share positive happenings in your business, such as:
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an important business anniversary
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an award that you, your business, or one of your employees has received
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an article about your business which has appeared recently in a newspaper or magazine, or a link to a radio or TV story about your business
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business renovation or expansion
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new manager or owners
To tell us about these happenings in your business, go to www.agrma.org then click on the top right tab “Contact Us” or send to info@agrma.org, if you have photos or attachments for this section please use info@agrma.org.
We hope you’ll start sharing your news with us today!
Last Updated: April 15, 2013
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