Dive Brief:
- Both the House and the Senate passed bipartisan legislation last week to reverse a provision in the ACA regarding the definition of small businesses.
- The provision, set to begin in 2016, had changed the definition of a small business from one employing no more than 50 people to one employing no more than 100 people.
- The legislation to reverse it, known as the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees (PACE) Act, is expected to receive the president's signature.
Dive Insight:
The ACA's unpopular provision would have required those businesses of 51-100 people to enter the small-group insurance market in 2016 and manage the costs of new coverage requirements.
President Obama will sign the bill, the White House said. The president has previously stated he is willing to make adjustments to the ACA to improve it without chipping at its core intent.
Following the midterm elections last fall, Obama stated he would be “open and receptive” to “responsible changes to the Affordable Care Act to make it work better,” as The Hill notes.
The Hill adds the bipartisan cooperation on the issue has brought optimism Congress will be able to collaborate on future improvements to the ACA.