Washington, D.C. – Today the House Committee on Education and the Workforce marked up a proposal introduced by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s (R-NY-21) to repeal the “auto-enrollment mandate” under the Affordable Care Act as part of a reconciliation proposal introduced pursuant to S.Con.Res. 11, the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2016. This proposal comes from her legislation, the Be Open Act -- a commonsense fix to the Affordable Care Act.
“This simply repeals an unnecessary and duplicative part of the Affordable Care Act that reduces choice in health coverage and creates confusion that can lead to significant tax penalties on both the employee and employer,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “I remain committed to achieving a healthcare system that works for North Country families and businesses, and this commonsense legislation is one step in that direction. I am pleased the Committee has included this important fix in our budget reconciliation passage, and I hope it is passed quickly by the Senate and sent to the President’s desk.”
The reconciliation proposal would repeal Section 1511 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as the “auto-enrollment mandate.” This mandate requires employers with 200 or more full-time employees to automatically enroll new full-time employees into employer-sponsored health care coverage if the employee fails to choose another employer plan or decline coverage. Concerns have been raised that the mandate will create unnecessary confusion for workers and employers and result in penalties for those already enrolled in health insurance coverage. Rep. Stefanik’s proposal to repeal this mandate was passed by the Education and Workforce Committee and added to the reconciliation proposal by a vote of 22 to 15.
Additional Background:
Stefanik Introduces the Be Open Act
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