Vallejo Times-Herald - Thompson, Black introduce bill to improve ‘Obamacare’

Workable options for employers to offer health coverage for their employees through the Affordable Care Act would result from the passage of a new bill introduced Wednesday by U.S. Reps. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) and Diane Black (R-TN-06), Thompson's office announced.

H.R. 2712, the Commonsense Reporting and Verification Act of 2015, would create a voluntary prospective reporting system and streamline the reporting process for businesses under the so-called Obamacare health care overhaul, Thompson said.

Thompson represent California's 5th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Solano, Napa, Contra Costa, Lake and Sonoma counties.

"While the health care law isn't perfect, it was an important first step toward making quality, affordable health care a reality for all Americans. Now it's time to work across the aisle to make commonsense improvements to the law, and that is exactly what this legislation will do," Thompson said in the announcement. "I've heard from employers of all sizes, who want to offer health care to their employees, about the challenges they face complying with the ACA's administrative requirements. This bill would allow employers to maintain employer-sponsored health coverage, while reducing reporting burdens on businesses so they can focus on what they do best – creating jobs and growing our local economies."

The bill would also increase consumer protections by requiring that subsidies eligibility be based on the most recent tax data, thereby increasing accuracy and ensuring that individuals and families aren't hit with a large and unexpected tax bill at the end of the year, he said.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association officially backs the bill, according to the announcement.

Under Obamacare's current reporting requirements, businesses must collect and annually report information about the coverage they offer to the Internal Revenue Service and their employees, Thompson said. This reporting is intended to verify compliance with the individual and employer mandates established by the new health care law and administer subsidies through the insurance exchanges. Also, employers and insurers must collect Social Security numbers of all covered individuals, including dependents, information that many do not currently collect.

"However, these reporting requirements have proven to be a challenging and inefficient way to gather the necessary information and administer subsidies," according to the announcement. "Thompson and Black's legislation is designed to refine the information reporting process under the ACA, improve accuracy and minimize the risks of employees having to repay part or all of premium tax credits or cost-sharing subsidies in cases where exchanges made an incorrect eligibility determination."

It also enhances privacy protections for individuals and families, it says.