Here are five things to know:
1. If companies employed more than 100 workers, they had to provide affordable health coverage to employees and dependents in 2015. In 2016, companies employing 50 to 99 workers have to provide health coverage.
2. The catch is part-time workers, fired workers and seasonal workers can all count toward the headcount for coverage.
3. If an eligible company didn’t offer health coverage, they could be fined $2,000 per employee.
4. New regulations in 2016 require businesses to fill out forms with coverage information, names and Social Security numbers. This process is time-intensive and has forced many small companies to hire outside help to complete the forms.
5. Those companies with fewer than 50 workers may have offered money toward employees’ premiums. However, this is not a health benefit and therefore illegal —owners may be fined $100 per day per employee.
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