Determining group size
Are you subject to Affordable Care Act regulations?
In 2017, employers with 50 or fewer eligible employees are considered a small business. Small businesses that offer group health care coverage must purchase a qualified health plan. They are not required to report information to the IRS about the health coverage they offer to employees.
Employers with 51 or more full-time employees (including full-time equivalent employees) on average during the prior year are considered a large business, or an Applicable large employer under the Affordable Care Act. These employers must offer health insurance coverage for their employees or face a tax penalty. They also are required to report information to the IRS and provide statements to full-time employees about health coverage they offer to employees.
Who’s an eligible employee?
Eligible employees are those who receive a W-2 form and work an average of at least 30 hours per week. This includes full-time equivalent employees.1
How do I calculate my number of eligible employees?
First, separate full-time employees from all other eligible employees. All other eligible employees need to be calculated as full-time equivalent employees, as follows:
- Add all hours for non-full-time employees for the month.
- Divide that number by 120. That gives you the number of FTEs.
- Add the number of FTEs to the total number of existing full-time employees to determine how many eligible employees you have.
What else do I need to know?
There are specific ACA requirements for the types of plans employers must offer, including minimum affordability and quality standards.
For more information about ACA requirements, contact your HAP account representative at (844) DIAL-HAP (342-5427).
If you would like us to calculate your employee coverage requirements, please complete the Eligible Employee worksheet (PDF) and email it to your HAP representative.
1HAP does not provide legal or human resource advice at any time, but we do strive to assist our clients by directing them to information that may be helpful. If you have any questions about the information contained on this page, please consult an attorney and human resource professional with expertise in the Affordable Care Act [BT1] [MO2].
