The National Restaurant Association recently launched an online health insurance exchange notification tool, developed for the NRA by Genius Avenue, experts in online benefits enrollment and administration, to help restaurateurs notify their employees about how to obtain health coverage in 2014.
The Notification Tool is available exclusively to NRA members to help them comply with the health care law. Under the Affordable Care Act, all employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act are required to give existing employees notice about new government health insurance marketplaces by October 1 and new employees within 14 days of their hire date.
The Notification Tool offers Association members online registration that guides them through the law’s required information process, lets them request a customized portal where employees can access the FLSA-required notice, and tracks the employees who have been notified.
“As changes under the health care law begin to unfold in the coming weeks and months, the National Restaurant Association will continue to expand the resources and tools we provide to help our members navigate the complexities of the law,” says Phil Kafarakis, the Association’s chief innovations and member advancement officer.
The Association will also be launching an online insurance and voluntary benefits marketplace that integrates with the Notification Tool already in place. The benefits marketplace, developed for the Association by Genius Avenue, will be available in late 2013 and will allow employers to easily and efficiently offer insurance benefits and savings to their employees.
“We’re glad we can help the National Restaurant Association provide valuable services and benefits to their members,” says Ben Rozum, president of Genius Avenue. “Over a thousand employers have already registered for the Notification Tool, including numerous national chains.”
The Notification Tool is part of the Association’s Health Care Reform Headquarters. The one-stop shop offers NRA members information about how the law affects restaurant businesses, including a Health Care Law Primer that covers key aspects of the law for restaurant employers. The Health Care Reform Headquarters will later offer a marketplace to help restaurant employers and employees shop for Affordable Care Act-compliant health plans.
