Products August 16, 2013

Aflac Enhances Health Care Reform Website

August 16, 2013 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Insurance provider Aflac has enhanced its website on health care reform with materials explaining the legislation in easy-to-understand language.
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Users of the site will find a variety of tools and resources designed to help employers understand health care reform and how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as ACA) affects both businesses and workers. Materials include:

  • A communications tool kit to help employers meet the October 1 deadline for informing employees about the Health Insurance Marketplace. The kit features a PowerPoint presentation with an overview on the ACA, e-mail and letter templates for employers who will (and will not) offer health insurance, FAQs about changes to employee benefits plans, and videos highlighting Health Insurance Marketplace basics and levels of coverage;
  • An employer’s guide explaining health care reform and its effect on U.S. businesses;
  • A quick guide to essential health care reform information for employers; and
  • Tips for helping employees understand health care reform.

The material featured on the enhanced website came about as a result of the “2013 Aflac WorkForces Report,” which revealed that employers and employees are having continued trouble understanding the legislation (see “Employees Need Education About Health Care Changes”).

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Fully 55% of employees who were interviewed for the report said they had done nothing to prepare for reform-driven changes to their benefits plans, and 76% said that health care reform is too complicated to understand. Only 27% of employers said they understood the ACA legislation “very well” or “extremely well.”

“Business leaders are confused about health care reform and for good reason. It is complex and as the law is implemented, it can be increasingly difficult for them to understand their options and the specific actions they need to take,” said Michael Zuna, Aflac executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “By using the tools on our site and speaking to our nationwide network of agents, employers cannot only stay up to date and understand key decision points, but also obtain information that will help them make the best benefits decisions for their organizations and employees.”

The enhanced website can be found at http://www.aflac.com/healthcare_reform/.

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