Affordable Care Act Mentions Workers Comp __ Times?
I am one of the people that actually read the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) just after it was passed by the House. The main reason was to see if Workers Comp was affected or mentioned directly in the Act.
The searchable PDF of the act is on the Affordable Care Act page. I had thought there would be more reference to Workers Comp. The term was covered only one time. The following is the excerpt from the Act:
COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN LAWS.—A State shall ensure that, regardless of whether the State uses an agency provider model or other models to provide home and community-based attendant services and supports under a State plan amendment under this subsection, such services and supports are provided in accordance with the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and applicable Federal and State laws regarding—
‘‘(A) withholding and payment of Federal and State income and payroll taxes;
‘‘(B) the provision of unemployment and workers compensation insurance;
‘‘(C) maintenance of general liability insurance; and
‘‘(D) occupational health and safety.
I had written many times before on the Federalization of Workers Compensation and the Death of Workers Compensation specifically mentioning 24 hour healthcare as a replacement for WC.
The above section may allay some of the fears that Workers Comp personnel may have on the Affordable Care Act. However, I would read the articles that I had written in the past before feeling too comfortable.
I read the passage a few times to try to comprehend how this all fits together. If anyone would like to leave a comment on their interpretation, please feel free to post a comment. Any input would be appreciated.
2018 Update – part of the Act has been repealed. The effect on Workers Comp will not be known for at least two years.
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