Information about the Affordable Care Act

Who is eligible for Health Insurance under ACA?

ACA requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide health insurance coverage to all employees who work 30 or more hours per week for 90 or more days.

This includes temporary, adjunct faculty and student employees.
Adjuncts will be credited with three (3) hours of work per week for each credit hour assigned to a semester long course (i.e., an adjunct faculty member teaching one three (3) hour class would be calculated as working nine (9) hours per week).
The Office of Human Resources will determine eligibility based on hire date, payroll records and other factors. An email will be sent to those eligible for coverage. If you are not contacted, but you think you are eligible for coverage under ACA regulations, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 828.251.6606.

 

ACA Health Plan Coverage

A High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) has been approved by the State Health Plan Board of Trustees for employees eligible for coverage under ACA.  This includes eligible temporary, students or adjunct faculty who become newly eligible under the ACA law.

The following resources are now available online for employees eligible for this plan:

 

TO ENROLL:

Notify Human Resources you want to enroll.  Then, use the link below to enroll.

eBenefits Enrollment Portal
(State Health Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Dental, Vision, Accident, TRICARE)

 

Important Information for Rehired Retirees Effective January 1, 2015

NC General Statute § 135-48.40 (categories of Eligibility) Effective January 1, 2015 – All full- time employees of an employing unit. For the purposes of this section, the full-time status of an employee will be determined by the employing unit in accordance with section 4980H of the Internal Revenue Code and the applicable regulations as amended.

As a result of this new statute, rehired retirees should not work 30 hours or more per week.

Rehired Retirees are “not exempted” from provision of ACA, even though they have coverage as a retiree. As if January 1, 2015, retirees risk losing their “retiree” health insurance under the SHP and the university will be required to offer the HDHP  if they are working enough hours to meet eligibility. This plan eligibility must also be reported to the SHP and retire health coverage will be terminated.

ACA Quick Facts

  • The ACA was signed into law in 2010 by President Obama and the law will be implemented in stages through 2020.
  • In 2012, the ACA required that employers report the value for health insurance in Box 12 of the W-2 form.
  • A health insurance exchange was created by the federal government for the State of North Carolina.
  • Staff and faculty can access the health insurance exchange website at www.healthcare.gov
  • Staff and faculty who want to purchase coverage through the exchange for their dependents may do so, but will not be eligible for the government provided subsidy since UNC Asheville offers dependent health coverage through the State Health Plan.
  • Dependent health coverage may be more affordable through the exchange as compared to the State Health Plan even without the subsidy. Be sure to fully understand what you may be purchasing as some plans have very high deductibles before the plan will pay for certain things.

Affordable Care Act Notice