National polling data shows that many business owners are pleased that the employer mandate penalty is being delayed 12 months. And this sentiment appears to be widespread in Montana, one of the country's most robust economies.
According to the Missoulian, many business officials in Helena are expressing their delight that the requirement that they make employee benefits available to their workers has been postponed, not because they don't want to extend them, but are concerned as to how it would impact their companies' structure.
"I think it's a big relief to those who would have been impacted by it," said Brad Griffin of the Montana Restaurant Association. "It gives them another year to figure out how to make this work in their existing business model, or make the changes to make it work in their business model."
Webb Brown, president of the Montana Chamber of Commerce, indicated that while the mandate has been put off for several years, it's not as if the law is going away anytime soon. Nevertheless, the postponement is something that business owners will benefit from, provided they take the time to get a firmer grasp of the legislation and how it will affect their bottom lines.
While employers have been given more time to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a recent survey suggests that consumers think they ought to be extended the same deferral. According to coverage information website HealthPocket, more than 40 percent of respondents said that they should be granted a waiver, putting off the penalty until 2015.
"The delay of the employer mandate demonstrates that the Obamacare implementation schedule is still not set in stone," said Bruce Telkamp, HealthPocket CEO. "Consumers will have to stay tuned to fully understand the market changes going live in the fall."
