Here are this week’s links to a few good stories that we found and selected because we feel they might add valuable insights and perspectives for small to medium size businesses.
- On June 25, The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in the King vs. Burwell case, which could have spelled the end for the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. The Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare”). The question for the court to decide had to do with the application of Medicare subsidies for those eligible in states who opted not to set up their own healthcare exchange, but instead relied on the federal government to do so. Enough ambiguity existed in the writing of the bill and many pundits felt that the decision made here would spell the end of Obamacare or secure its legacy. By a 6-3 vote, the court decided that subsidies would be available in the state affected, hence saving the president’s landmark legislation. The decision would not have affected those eligible in Massachusetts given that the state has its own exchange, but if the decision when in favor of the plaintiff, the result likely would have had considerable long term implications for the future of the ACA. See the CNN Report to learn more
- The following day, by a 5-4 vote, SCOTUS decided that gay marriage was legal in all 50 states. Massachusetts was the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, and at the time it did create a nightmare for employers. While the Commonwealth recognized gay marriage, the federal government did not, which created some tax treatment challenges. In 2013, the court decided that gay couples married in those states that recognized gay marriage were entitled to federal benefits which made the administration challenges a bit better for Massachusetts employers. The decision last week now makes that tax and benefit issue moot in all 50 states. Perhaps within a few years the term “gay marriage” will be dropped from our national lexicon to be replaced simply by “marriage”. At any rate, this is a rare example of a government decision that actually makes administration for employers a bit easier.
For more information, please reach out to Genesis HR Solutions at AskUs@genesishrsolutions.com or 800-367-8367.
Genesis HR Solutions is the premier PEO provider for Massachusetts based businesses.
