Grandfathered Health Plan Status: Still Important for Employers, March 7, 2019

Mar. 7, 2019

In the years that have passed since the ACA became effective, many employers may have forgotten the importance of maintaining the grandfathered status of their health insurance plans. Grandfathered health plans remain exempt from many of the ACA market reform provisions and help employers avoid some of the more difficult compliance issues presented by the ACA. To maintain grandfathered status, employers should be sure to maintain proper documentation of the plan coverage extending from March 23, 2010 to the present. If and when the plan enters a new policy or contract, it should provide the health insurance company with documents governing the plan terms to make sure the change will not cause loss of grandfathered status. Adding new employees or new contributing employers will not impact the grandfathered status of the plan, so long as the principal purpose of any restructuring of the business was not to cover additional people under a grandfathered plan. Amendments to the plan that eliminate certain benefits can cause loss of grandfathered status, as can increases in certain cost-sharing requirements and copayments. For more information on grandfathered health plans, visit Tax Facts Online.