countyVoice the
A Publication of the Utah assciation of Counties
September/October 2013
Three Keys to Winning at UAC’s Annual Convention ...Page 6
Meet Her Iron Toughness... 10 QR Codes Re-Defining Communication... 15 Affordable Care Act Eligibility... 17
what’sInside
September/October 2013
6
Three Keys to Winning at UAC’s Annual Convention
10
Meet Her Iron Toughness: Cindy Bulloch
17
Affordable Care Act: Who is eligible for benefits in 2015?
6
What’s your gameplan for UAC’s Convention, or any conference, for that matter? Here we share three things that are sure to make your experience a touchdown for your county.
The Iron County Assessor trains and runs to get things... and she’s done a lot of getting over the years. But find out here what she’s been running to and from lately.
10
The Feds recently postponed large employer penalties until 2015. So, how will this impact your county?
Everything Else...
UAC Calendar 4... UAC Notes 5... NACo Notes 5... Annual Convention Keynote Speaker Sean Tuohy 9... Official Introductions 14... QR Codes: Re-Defining Communication 15 UAC Executive Committee John Jones, President (Carbon) Brandy Grace, 1st VP (Millard) David Wilde, 2nd VP (Salt Lake) Gordon Topham, Secretary (Sevier) Robert Kirk, Past Pres. (Utah)
UAC Staff Brent Gardner, Chief Executive Officer Jill Brown, Accountant Elizabeth Fukui, UBHC Asst. Director Debbie Goodwin, Office Manager Alice Hancock, Admin. Assistant Doug Perry, Communications Dir. Adam Trupp, General Counsel Arie Van De Graaff, Legislative Analyst Mark Ward, Senior Policy Analyst
The County Voice Published six times annually, The County Voice is the official magazine of the Utah Association of Counties. To subscribe: uacnet.org/archived-newsletters/ To submit articles, ads or other content, contact Doug Perry here: Utah Association of Counties 5397 S. Vine Street Murray, UT 84107 (801) 265-1331 doug@uacnet.org
2013 Utah Association of Counties Board of Directors Past Secretary Art Partridge (Washington)
Uintah Basin Kirk Wood (Duchesne)
Utah County Larry Ellertson (Utah)
Commissioner Bret Millburn (Davis)
Five-County Doug Heaton (Kane)
Washington County Alan Gardner (Washington)
Clerk Norm Johnson (San Juan)
Southeastern Jeff Horrocks (Emery)
Washington County Russell Shirts (Washington)
Auditor Diana Carroll (Grand)
Six-County Claudia Jarrett (Sanpete)
At-Large Kim Carson (Summit)
Sheriff Dave Edmunds (Summit) Assessor John Ulibarri (Weber) Recorder Brenda Nelson (Morgan) Treasurer John Bond (Weber) Attorney Doug Hogan (Tooele) Surveyor Reid Demman (Salt Lake) Bear River LuAnn Adams (Box Elder)
Davis County Louenda Downs (Davis)
At-Large Jeff Merrell (Uintah)
Davis County Steve Rawlings (Davis)
At-Large Mike Kohler (Wasatch)
Weber County Jan Zogmaister (Weber)
At-Large Dale Eyre (Sevier)
Weber County Kerry Gibson (Weber)
At-Large Jim Eardley (Washington)
Salt Lake County Ben McAdams (Salt Lake)
At-Large Cindy Bulloch (Iron)
Salt Lake County Richard Snelgrove (Salt Lake)
At-Large Les Barker (Garfield)
Utah County Gary Anderson (Utah)September/October 2013 • countyVoice
3
CALENDAR November 13 November 13-15
UAC Board Meeting UAC Annual Convention
St. George (Dixie Center) St. George (Dixie Center)
February 20, 2014
UAC County Legislature Day
Salt Lake City (State Capitol)
March 1-5, 2014
NACo Legislative Conference
Washington DC
April 16, 2014 April 16-18, 2014
UAC Board Meeting UAC Management Conference
Salt Lake City (City Creek Marriott) Salt Lake City (City Creek Marriott)
May 21-23, 2014
WIR Annual Conference
Anchorage
July 11-4, 2014
NACo Annual Conference
New Orleans
Solutions For Your County Property Notices Election Materials Laser Checks Pressure Seal Forms Full-Color Printing Envelopes and Letterhead Mailing Services IC Group is an environmentally responsible company, and is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council
NOTES from UAC UAC Welcomes Elizabeth Fukui
recently graduated from Brigham Young University with a Masters in Public Administration. She will assist Adam Trupp, director of UBHC in the oversight and administration of committee activities and participation.
expands UAC’s ability to host meetings and create greater conveniences for guests.
UAC Building Gets Finishing Touches
UAC recently hired Elizabeth Fukui as the new UBHC Assistant Director, replacing Chelsie Dalton who moved to Oregon a few months ago. Fukui
It started in February and things got pretty noisy and dusty at times but the finishing touches are being put on the UAC building this week. Much of the interior construction has been complete for weeks, but the awnings located over the southwest entrance and new northeast entrance are being put into place. The new indoor meeting space has been a welcome addition as it
NOTES from NACo NACo Introduces New Grants Clearinghouse The National Association of Counties (NACo) recently launched a significant upgrade to the NACo Grants Clearinghouse which offers almost 10 times as many grant opportunities for counties. Updated daily in real-time, the new clearinghouse boasts enhanced search features and up-to-date listings of federal, state, corporate and foundation grants available to counties and community-based organizations. The original NACo Grants Clearinghouse had up to 100 grant opportunities at any one time while the new tool has nearly 1,000 grant opportunities for counties. Click Here for More
Congress Approves One-Year Extension of Secure Rural Schools Program Last week the U.S. Congress passed legislation to extend Secure Rural Schools (SRS) funding to counties and schools for an additional year (with payments disbursed to counties and schools in January of 2014). The funding was attached to the Helium Stewardship Act (H.R. 527)—which reauthorizes the sale of U.S. Helium reserves—and was approved by a margin of 97-2 in the U.S. Senate and unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives. Click Here for More
Fix-It Program Challenges ‘Throwaway’ Mindset For most people, when an item breaks it gets thrown away. Not so in Hennepin County, Minn. Instead of throwing away broken electronics or appliances, Hennepin wants to teach residents how to repair them at Fix-It Clinics. The county started offering monthly free Fix-It Clinics in September 2012, inspired by an article in The New York Times about more than 30 “repair cafes” that have sprung up in the Netherlands. The idea has caught on in Brooklyn, San Francisco and Seattle. Click Here for More
September/October 2013 • countyVoice
5
Three Keys to Winning at UAC’s Annual Convention
A
t UAC we regularly discuss, as a staff, how we can keep our conferences and meetings interesting, relevant and lively. We ourselves occasionally attend conferences and those are great ways for us to pick up on ideas and trends. But before a conference starts, we’ve always got a game plan of methods, strategies and contingencies in place to ensure the event is a success. Are you any different as an attendee. Have you thought through the X’s and O’s of what your game plan is for the 2013 UAC Annual Convention, November 13-15 in St. George? If not, the good news is there is still time. So, we offer you three bits of coaching we hope will help you physically and mentally prepare for the action that will take place in November. 1. Differentiate Between the Half-Time Show and the Game In reviewing the notes I took as an attendee of a conference I attended this year, I can clearly see two columns of content on my pads of paper—I call them “fluff ” and “stuff.” Nearly every speaker inserts fluff into parts of their presentation. At the beginning of a presentation, fluff is designed to grab your attention (a joke, story or other device). In the middle, it helps give the audience a mental break from all the meat-and-potatoes talk (quotes, big picture ideas). And then speakers will often cap things off with a summary or tie into the overall theme to make it more memorable.
6
countyVoice • September/October 2013
Fluff is cool. It’s fun. Sometimes, it even helps keep you awake! And it does have value. It could make you a better county official, a nicer human being, a more generous giver. It may even make you think twice about career goals or move from being a big picture thought to an action item. I remember one year, a county official told me after the keynote address of a particularly powerful speaker that she had decided to leave politics and go back to her private sector job. She felt she was spending too much time worrying about
Photo: Eric Schramm
THE PRODUCTS YOU NEED. THE SERVICE YOU DESERVE. If you’re not banking with Zions Bank®, you should be. Jim Divver, Government Sales One South Main, Salt Lake City • 801-844-8055
things that didn’t really interest her, not enough time with family. What she and others probably took notes on that day started in the fluff column, but for her at least, ended up in the stuff column. Stuff items are ideas, tips, and leads shared that you might consider doable or applicable to your job. They are things you may want to either test or outright implement because the speaker convinces you they have merit or value. Both the fluff and stuff items have their place, but it’s important to distinguish between them during the conference. As humans, we tend to focus on one or the other at different times. If they are all mingled together, the process of sorting may prevent you from reviewing either one when the conference ends leading you to not act on either one. For me, I love good fluff, but when I am in stuff mode I can’t really give the fluff proper attention. So by putting the two into different columns as I take notes, I can go back and look at the fluff when I want to be entertained or think big picture, and the stuff when I am ready to carry the ball. 2. Don’t Forget Your Playbook Before you get to St. George, make sure you’ve spent some moments thinking about what it is you want to get out of the Convention. Is there someone you need to make a connection with on a specific issue? Is there a discussion you want your voice heard on? Are there products or services you need to learn more about? These are all good questions and things to consider before you get there because when you arrive there will be lots of things in motion - you may get sidetrack on a different issue or you may be distracted by someone. These meetings are packed with information and intensity. It will be hard at times to keep from staring at the Jumbotron of activity, away from what matters most to you. Your playbook
8
countyVoice • September/October 2013
(whether it be mental or an actual list) should be wellrehearsed, and be a great help to keeping you in the game. Additionally, in between conferences you experience things, you see things, you hear things. Take a few minutes to think about some of those “things”--whatever they are--and add them to your playbook as well. They could be fluff or stuff--the category doesn’t matter. What’s most important is that you come prepared to share them. It’s amazing to me how many times I attend a conference thinking only about what I want to get out of it, and then end up coming away with so much more because others shared. Thankfully, we have a great system of sharing and folks are interested in not just getting at conferences but giving too. So get it all down in the playbook and be sure to bring it with you. 3. Leave the Bleachers and Get on the Field You have told us, over and over again in post conference surveys the best location of every single UAC conference is the hallway. Say what? Yep, that’s right! It’s the place you go in between meetings to take a mental break. Sometimes it’s noisy. Often it’s very crowded and a little congested in places. It can even get tiring standing in the same spot for very long. It’s no secret, the hallway is the endzone of the Convention; it’s where people meet, catch-up with friends and peers, share thoughts and opinions, all of which often results in winning the game. It goes without saying, never allow yourself to be found in the bleachers just watching. This is your chance to make the pass or catch the ball and score for your county. Grab some food and find someone to talk to or join in with. Take advantage of this most unique convenience you have to network face-to-face. The world in becoming increasingly connected digitally, yet we get less and less of these chances to share things in-person. UAC’s conferences and meetings are a fantastic way to learn and share valuable content. As a staff, we look forward to “game day” every year and hope you do as well. If you have ideas or things you think we can do to make things better, be sure and let us know so we can convert your experience into a win.
Annual Convention Keynote Speaker Sean Tuohy “Sean was an American success story: he had come from nothing and made himself rich,” wrote Michael Lewis in The Blind Side, the best-selling book that inspired the major motion picture starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. The Blind Side tells the story of Michael Oher, a homeless teenager turned first round draft pick NFL football player, with the support and love of an unlikely adoptive family: the Tuohys. Sean Tuohy, Michael’s adoptive father, was a professional basketball player before becoming a successful entrepreneur and NBA broadcaster. Sean Tuohy knew what it meant to be the poor kid in a private school—he had been one himself. With sports as his “meal ticket” through high school and college, Sean left New Orleans for the University of Mississippi on a basketball scholarship. When Sean walked off the court after his final game, he had shattered every major SEC assists-related record and become a legend in the SEC hall of fame for leading the Ole Miss Rebels to their first and only Championship. Drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1982, he opted to continue his career overseas before returning to the US to be with his father in his final days. He became a successful entrepreneur, building a company that now owns and operates 70 fast food restaurants, including Taco Bell and Long John Silver’s. Sean has been married to his college cheerleader sweetheart, the former Leigh Anne Roberts, for 30 years and they are the proud parents of daughter Collins (25) and sons Michael Oher (26) and Sean, Jr. (19). Sean is also in his 11th season as an NBA broadcaster for the Memphis Grizzlies, after several years as an analyst for radio broadcasts at Ole Miss as well as national broadcasts for Westwood One and CBS radio.
In addition to his demanding business, broadcasting, school and church schedules (he also helped to create one of the fastest growing evangelical churches in Memphis, the Grace Evangelical Church) Sean is heavily involved in supporting several minority students at Briarcrest Christian School. “It’s easy to beat a kid up. The hard thing is to build him up,” Sean says. With that philosophy in mind, Sean and Leigh Anne brought Michael into their home, supported him through school, and eventually adopted him as their son. From the perspective of a dedicated father and inspirational coach, Sean asks all of us to consider a simple question: how many other kids just like Michael Oher are falling through the cracks every day? And how can we make an impact big enough to change a broken system? Sean will be speaking at our Opening General Session on Thursday, November 14 at 8:30 a.m.
September/October 2013 • countyVoice
9
Iron County Assessor Cindy Bulloch is quite the daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother... and a pretty good athlete, too.
Meet Her Iron Toughness, Cindy Bulloch
“O
ne of the things I guess I love to hate or hate to love, is that you get what you’ve trained for,” says Iron County Assessor Cindy Bulloch with a special emphasis on the “get” part. She would know, she’s done her share of training (and some getting, too). She grew up in tiny Summit, Utah, just a few miles south of Parowan. The town is so small it barely earns a spot on the map at less than 200 in population. But the former Parowan High School senior class president, athlete and cheerleader dreamed of bigger things and decided after graduation she would leave and never come back. “I first went to Utah State University in Logan and then
10
countyVoice • September/October 2013
moved to California to attend Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University) and study Agribusiness,” said Cindy explaining that even though her major was agribusiness she had a special emphasis on public policy which is only part of the story of how she got interested in government. Her first exposure was growing up as the daughter of then Iron County Assessor H. Dee White. He served as assessor for 16 years, and was very proud when he heard the news of his daughter starting a job as a deputy assessor in Iron County in 2000. Sadly, however, he passed away prior to her running for office in 2012. “We kind of laugh because I don’t know if he is in Heaven saying ‘you go girl’ or if he’s rolling over in his grave saying ‘didn’t I teach you any better’, but I am sure he’s proud,” she says, speaking fondly of her father.
Blake L. Frazier, Auditor, Summit County Trust Board of Directors
THERE’S BEING COVERED, AND THEN THERE’S BEING TAKEN CARE OF. THIS IS THE TRUST.
Here at the TRUST, each member of our team has extensive academic and field qualifications – including professional designations of: ARM, ARM-P, CIH, and CPSI. We help members develop and strengthen a culture of safety and accountability. We partner with members top down – fully recognizing that executive leadership and executive commitment to accountability are key to safety and loss prevention.
She lists both her dad and mom as the most influential people in her life.
races in 2013 alone, including seven 5K’s, five half marathons, two 10K’s, one dualathlon, one triathlon, an 85-mile bike ride, and in October her first marathon. She also is planning another triathlon, two 5K’s, and another half marathon before the end of 2013. Given her work ethic as county assessor, and spending time with her husband, children and grandchilden, one would wonder when she has time to train. “I get up about 4:15 a.m. every day and either go to the gym or run,” she said, adding that her day often includes a bike ride to work before she muscles through piles of paperwork, powers through a marathon-lengths worth of meetings, or sprints from family activity to family activity in the evenings.
“My mom is amazing - she’s been a widow for four years and just never stops. And my dad, despite being born with a physical handicap was also very tenacious,” she said. Which is probably a little bit of where she gets her athletic grit. “I’ve always been pretty active throughout my life, but lately I do it to fight age - trying to find that fountain of youth or something,” she laughs.
That’s just the way she likes it. She probably also gained some mental toughness through a singular experience while traveling overseas in 1999. It certainly changed her perspective on life. “I was travelling in Europe by myself, visiting a friend from college,” she begins. “And I was getting on a train to go back to Milan (Italy) and next thing I knew I was waking up in an ambulance.”
The “it” she speaks of are actually three intense activities built into one event - commonly referred to as a triathlon. But lately - to keep things interesting she also picks a solo distance event of running or biking. “I like the competitive nature, but I like to compete against myself to beat the time I got before,” said Bulloch, who has competed in more than a Bulloch with daughter Bailey, following one of their many runs together. dozen different
12
countyVoice • September/October 2013
Unbeknownst to Bulloch, a tumor had been enlarging on her brain for some time and had finally reached a point where the pressure had led to a seizure - something as foreign to her as the country she was in. Cindy stayed in Italy for a week before she was cleared for a flight home, as there was
with his two brothers, and another ranch near Panguitch Lake for a gentleman who lives in Las Vegas. As she mentioned, family time is in the evenings, but what she likes most is combining her love for outdoor activities (hiking and running) with family. Not too far behind is the joy she gets from serving as county assessor. “I’ve enjoyed the connections with other counties and other elected officials. The job itself is rewarding, but it’s the people, both the tax payers and the people in the community, that really make it great.” The first-term assessor is still new to her elected office, but the community will Cindy riding in a parade with one of her granchildren. always be home. And this time, she thinks she’ll stick around for a while. considerable swelling and flight cabin pressure can cause additional seizures. “I plan to run again,” she reflectively nods with a smile. After all, she loves running. She barely remembers the flight home because of the medications she was given, but returned on a Sunday and had surgery two days later at LDS Hospital. Doctors removed the tumor and determined that it was benign. “I had to learn to read and write again, but have had no other physical problems with it since,” she reports. Not that re-learning to read and write was easy. “I remember coming home from the hospital and my daughter had her piano book and wanted me to read it. The song was Three Blind Mice, so I knew the tune and I knew the words, but I couldn’t read it. And I remember crying because I didn’t know if it would ever come back.” Both skills did come back and she was able to resume a life in the place she didn’t think she would ever come back to. Home. She met her current husband while living in Salt Lake on a blind date - who her sister convinced her would be nothing more than just a free meal. “Between the two of us we have four children and three grandchildren,” she says proudly. Her husband manages a family ranch with winter range on the Lund Desert and summer range on Cedar Mountain, behind Navajo Lake,
Cindy and husband, Jeff. September/October 2013 • countyVoice
13
Official Introductions
K
evin Jacobs was appointed by the Salt Lake County GOP central committee in September to replace outgoing Salt Lake County Assessor Lee Gardner. Jacobs was previously serving in the assessors office for 23 years, most recently as Gardners chief deputy. There have been no other changes in officials being appointed or leaving office since our last issue. Below are brief profiles of a handful of officials who have taken office in 2013. Ethan Migliori was recently elected as a Commissioner in Emery County. He has not previously served in local government. He continues to work for Utah State University in Price as director of non-credit education. He loves the outdoors and spends lots of time boating in the Summer and snowmobiling in the Winter. Rory Paxman was recently elected as a council member in Grand County. This is his first stint as a local government official. He also works presently as the manager of a river company and as a general contractor. Not only does he work outdoors but loves spending much of his free time there as well.
LouJean Argyle was recently appointed as Rich County Treasurer, replacing Ruth Smith, who retired. She served as deputy recorder for the last six years. She enjoys cross-stitch, sewing, reading, refinishing woodwork, beadwork and leatherwork. Her husband has a boot and saddle shop, where she helps him with chaps, among other things. Mary Ann Trussell was recently appointed as Summit County Recorder, replacing Alan Spriggs, who retired. She served as chief deputy under Spriggs since 1997 and has worked for Summit County a total of 22 years. She enjoys spending time with grandkids and family, riding her Harley, reading and cross stitching. Kevin Jacobs was recently appointed as Salt Lake County Assessor, replacing Lee Gardner, who retired. He has worked at Salt Lake County for 30 years, beginning with the Auditor’s office for seven and the last 23 with the Assessors office. He likes dutch oven cooking, gardening and tatting (which is a method for making lace and edges on material - not tattoos).
14
countyVoice • September/October 2013
Photo by: Douglas Pulsipher
In 2011 New York City began using Quick Response (QR) codes on all Department of Buildings permits, providing New Yorkers with instant access to information related to buildings and construction sites throughout New York City.
Re-Defining Government Communication with QR Codes
Y
ou probably see them everywhere. They look a little like jigsaw puzzles, sometimes in color but most often in black-and-white. They are on magazine advertisements, posters and billboards, business cards, and just about everything else. They are quick response (or QR) codes, and they act as mobile shortcuts to websites, discount coupons, videos, and other content. Point at them with your smartphone, snap a picture of the code and you are zipped to a video, a coupon, a Web page, contact information, or other content. A static medium suddenly turns into a dynamic, interactive one.
These codes capitalize on the ubiquity of and reliance on today’s cellphones. They have been used for years in other countries and have exploded onto the scene in the United States. They open doors to communicating with younger consumers, busy mobile professionals, and others on the go. In order for customers or prospects to read QR codes, they need a reader. Some phones come with readers installed. Others require viewers to download an app. QR codes can even contain personalized URLs, sending recipients to their own unique Web pages, where they can fill
September/October 2013 • countyVoice
15
limited budget. They have deployed QR-coded “digital stop” signs throughout the community to provide residents with on-demand information. They were also implemented for emergency management and posted at many historical sites.
out surveys, receive customized content, and marketers can talk to them one-on-one. They also allow you to track and measure response to print materials like PSA advertisements and posters that are otherwise difficult or impossible to track. Here are a few examples of the ways city and county governments are starting to implement QR code technology: • The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) in Maryland has enhanced its Pay-By-Cell phone parking program with the addition of QR code scanning capabilities. Under the new system, drivers can pay for a parking session by scanning a QR code with a smartphone. The code contains information that identifies the space number on a parking meter. This eliminates the possibility of typing in the wrong meter number when paying for parking using a smartphone. • In Manor Texas, the city was faced with the challenge of how to engage citizens, businesses, and tourists by utilizing mobile technology on a very
16
countyVoice • September/October 2013
• In North Carolina, Catawba County was recognized for implementation of a Building Permit QR Codes system, which provides building contractors and inspectors with up-to-the-minute job site and inspection information, at their fingertips, in the field. The County added QR codes to building services permit placards posted at job sites in order to quickly deliver data via use of a smartphone. The placard codes link to GIS information for the parcel of the building site, and to full permit information on the web. All data is live and dynamic. Here at IC Group, we have been implementing QR codes for our clients for several years now. Some of the counties we work with have begun to add these to their annual property tax notices in order to make it easier for property owners to pay their taxes. Market awareness of QR codes has grown rapidly. When they cost nothing but a little brain power to add, the question isn’t why you should use QR codes. It’s why not? Article courtesy of Stacy Keyes, Account Management and Business Development at IC Group. Scan below to learn more.
The Affordable Care Act: Who is eligible for benefits in 2015? The federal government recently decided to postpone large employer penalties until 2015. Many employers were using 2013 as a look-back period to see who would qualify for benefits in 2014. With the recent change, now employers will use the 2014 year to determine eligibility for benefits in 2015. In 2015, large employers must offer affordable minimum essential healthcare coverage to all full-time employees or pay a penalty. The previous sentence may sound harmless, but a simple review of what that entails will ultimately
change how all employers operate in the future. Who is considered a large employer? An employer achieves large employer status with 50 full-time equivalent employees (FTE’s). Full-time employees are employees that work an average of 30 hours a week or 130 hours a month. To determine the number of FTE’s, you take the total number of variable employee hours worked in one month and divide by 120. Add the FTE count to the full-time employee September/October 2013 • countyVoice
17
count to see if you are considered a large employer. This process must be done monthly during each calendar year to determine large employer status. How do you determine if an employee is full-time? The IRS issued Notice 2012-58 to address this question. As an employer, you are allowed to use a measurement or look-back period to determine eligibility for your variable hour employees. The look-back period must be between 3 and 12 months. In most situations, a longer look-back period will benefit the employer and give more accurate results. What happens at the end of the look-back period? At the end of the look-back period, the employer will determine if the variable hour employee worked an average of 30 hours per week. If the variable hour employee averages more than 30 hours per week, they will be eligible for benefits during what is called the stability period. What is the length of the stability period? The stability period is the amount of time the employee must be on the plan once they are eligible for benefits and must be equal in length to the look-back period, but no less than six months. How much time does an employer have to add a newly eligible employee? Though the employee may be eligible for benefits at the end of the look-back period, the employer has up to 90 days to add the variable hour employee to the plan. This period of time is called the administrative period. The administrative period will also make it easier for newly eligible employees to have their stability period match the employers insurance plan renewal date.
18
countyVoice • September/October 2013
When is the best time to start the look-back period? For January renewals, it makes sense to have a one-year look-back period beginning October 15th, which would allow an administrative period from October 15th to December 31st. Variable hour employees that qualify would be eligible for coverage beginning January 1st. April 15th would be a good date for July renewals. What if an employee does not average 30 hours per week once they are on the plan? Employees that qualify for coverage must be left on the plan during the stability period. Each year, the employer will monitor the variable hour employee’s hours during the measurement period. At the end of the stability period, if it is determined that the employee is no longer eligible for benefits, they can be removed from the plan. What penalties are associated with not offering coverage to all eligible employees? If a large employer chooses not to offer coverage for fulltime employees, the penalty is the number of FTE’s minus 30 multiplied by $2,000. There is another penalty if the coverage is considered unaffordable. In that scenario, the penalty is FTE’s that qualify multiplied by $3,000. There are still many questions surrounding healthcare reform and how it will impact employers. Questions regarding new hires versus existing employees and variable hour versus seasonal employees make dealing with the reform all the more difficult to manage. Resources like your medical insurance provider, broker, and in-house legal counsel can assist in offering valuable insight to difficult reform questions. Article courtesy of Travis Garton, CIC, Utah Local Governments Trust