Local business owners looking for guidance on complying with federal health care law will have a chance to get answers during a summit planned by the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber is organizing back-to-back sessions at the Mobile Marriott on Airport Boulevard aimed at helping employers navigate requirements under the Affordable Care Act. A morning session, running from 8 to 11 a.m., is designed for companies with up to 100 employees, while an afternoon session from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. targets larger employers with more than 100 workers on staff.
Registration costs $50 for Chamber members and $60 for non-members, with the fee covering lunch between the two sessions. Planned topics include private insurance exchanges, telemedicine options, captive insurance arrangements and the use of onsite health clinics as employers look for ways to manage rising health care costs.
Attorney Matthew W. Stiles, who specializes in employment litigation for the firm Maynard, Cooper & Gale, is scheduled to deliver the event’s keynote address between the two sessions, titled “The Affordable Care Act in Full Swing: Preparing for 2015 and Beyond.”
The summit reflects continued uncertainty among small and mid-sized employers over how to structure health benefits under federal law years after its passage, a challenge the Chamber has sought to address through periodic educational programming for its membership. Business groups across Alabama have hosted similar sessions as compliance deadlines and reporting requirements have evolved.
The event is part of a broader slate of programming the Chamber runs each year to help members adapt to shifting state and federal regulations, from labor law updates to workplace safety requirements.
Organizers encouraged interested business owners to register in advance given the split scheduling by company size. Additional information and registration details are available directly through the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce.
Similar chamber-led compliance sessions in past years have drawn dozens of local business owners eager to avoid costly reporting mistakes under the federal law, and organizers said this year’s summit was expected to draw a similar turnout.