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Employer cuts back on full-timers to avoid Obamacare

It's a loophole in the Affordable Care Act.

DEAR HARRY: My employer has 55 employees. Back in January, there were only 48, which excluded us from coverage for insurance under the Affordable Care Act. In order to stay out of coverage, they have decided to cut back on our hours. Many of us now work 28 hours a week to keep us from being "full-timers." That leaves the company with fewer than 50 full-timers and no requirement that they participate. However, each of us has private coverage, some with subsidies. Is this the way it was supposed to work? Isn't it a violation of the law for our employer to do this?

WHAT HARRY SAYS: I don't know if Congress saw this loophole, but it is a game that any employer who is near the 50 full-time floor can play. Fortunately, there is affordable coverage for the newly created part-timers. Much to the chagrin of those who opposed it, the Affordable Care Act is working.

As you have seen, it is not perfect; few laws ever are. It does accomplish its main goal of making health insurance affordable for almost all Americans. Like Social Security, even those who oppose it will ultimately see its value.