5 Tools Small Business Owners Already Know About That Can Help Them Implement the Affordable Care Act

There are a number of resources out there to educate small business owners about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and what it means for your organization. But after you’ve researched what ACA, how do you go about implementing it? As it turns out, there are a number of technology tools you already know about—and may already own—that can be used to help implement the Affordable Care Act at your small business.

1. iPad

Although the new healthcare website is currently experiencing technical difficulties, once you choose what healthcare option works best for your small business, employees will need to sign up through the Marketplace. Having an iPad or other tablet available in your offices is a great way to provide employees with easy access to sign up for the new insurance. Utilizing a tablet or possibly the iPad Air, the latest model that Apple recently announced, for employees to register will be easier and more efficient than setting up a station with a desktop and is mobile in case they need to ask questions while filling out the required information.  

2. CamScanner

During the transition, it’s important to keep track of any important healthcare related documents you receive in the coming months and years. CamScanner turns your iPhone into an intelligent solution for document management by allowing users to scan papers and turn them into PDFs with their phone. You can then upload those files to a secure file sharing service, to keep them organized.

3.  Video

Corporate videos are, and continue to be, an excellent marketing tool for small business owners. Reading through a bunch of documents might not sound appealing to employees, so they may be missing out on important instructions for the impending changes. Managers can help alleviate confusion and stress by creating videos that are a short, engaging resource to help explain the ACA changes to their employees. Small business owners can even take that a step further and provide webinars that walk employees through the steps it takes to make sure they are taking advantage of the healthcare options that have been made available to them. For inspiration, check out the fun video The Kaiser Family Foundation has created that walks through the basic changes in how Americans will get health coverage and what it will cost. 

4. Attendance and Time Keeping Software

Although the Obama Administration recently delayed enforcement and reporting requirements of employer penalties under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) until 2015, businesses should use this extra time to become better prepared. Employers need a full understanding of how the law impacts their business and they must plan for the law’s implementation. How does timekeeping come into play?  Employer status. The number of full-time employees on staff determines employer status. This status classifies organizations as either a large or small business and establishes whether that organization is required to provide health insurance under the ACA’s requirements. Tracking whether employees are full or part-time by manually counting hours is time-consuming, cumbersome, and rife with error. A timekeeping software solution is a small investment with a large return—it makes payroll execution easy, eliminates user error, and prevents penalties for ACA non-compliance.

5. Health Care Business Pulse 

The Health Care Business Pulse is a website where small business owners can come to learn and exchange information about the upcoming healthcare changes. The Small Business Administration regularly updates the Health Care Business Pulse to provide small business owners with timely updates regarding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. With articles, webinars, and Google+ hangouts, there are a variety of resources to help educate and help small business owners be better prepared.

As a small business owner, you have numerous responsibilities that you deal with on a regular basis without adding the stress of learning about and implementing these healthcare changes. These tools may already be familiar to you, but you likely haven’t thought about how they can be used to help implement the Affordable Care Act into your small business. Using these tools to support the launch of the new healthcare option for your employees will help the transition go smoother and with less issues.