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While the future of the ACA hangs in the balance, the fact remains that the law is still in existence until those critical decisions are made. As such, ACA mandates and regulations – both old and new – need to be strictly adhered to.
Below is a quick round up of changes to the ACA that are coming down the pike for 2017… at least for the foreseeable future.

Raymond DePaola writes for Benefit News about how self-funding beats traditional coverage in lowering or containing prescription drug costs.

This editorial piece by Merrill Goozner, editor of Modern Healthcare, looks at the challenges of rising healthcare costs, and how those rising costs impact employees' spending in other ways.

Image: UIC News Center

Dan Cook writes for Benefits Pro about how employers can make their benefits packages more enticing to potential hires.

Beth Braverman reports on the top five healthcare trends in 2017 in this article for The Fiscal Times. She notes that "the American health care system faces massive uncertainty heading into 2017," as more Americans gain coverage but fewer can afford it.

Dan Cook writes for Benefits Pro about the results of a recent survey by the insurer Guardian, which reveals that many Americans do not understand the benefits (health or otherwise) they are receiving.

The IRS has extended the due dates for furnishing 2016 Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to covered individuals and full-time employees, respectively, from January 31, 2017, to March 2, 2017. In addition, the IRS is also extending good faith penalty relief to reporting entities who can show they made good faith efforts to comply with the calendar year 2016 information reporting requirements. However, the deadline to file 2016 Forms 1094-B, 1095-B, 1094-C, and 1095-C with the IRS was not extended, and remains February 28, 2017 (or March 31, 2017, if filing electronically). Source: HR360

Brian M. Kalish writes for Benefit News about the enormous penalities for which employers are on the line if they do not stay in compliance with the Affordable Care Act.

Amanda Eisenberg writes for Benefit News about the struggle employers are facing in attracting and retain employees with critical skills, high potential, and a top performance record.