All County of San Mateo Employees,
Attached is a new one-time notice that is being sent to you in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 (sometimes referred to as “Obamacare”). This notice, designed by the Federal Department of Labor, is intended to inform you about the following:
- Effective January 1, 2014, every U.S. citizen and legal resident will be required to obtain qualifying health insurance coverage. This requirement is referred to as the “individual mandate”.
- The health insurance coverage must meet certain minimum standards. The health plans offered by the County of San Mateo meet the standards required by the ACA’s individual mandate.
- People who do not have insurance coverage should contact Covered California (www.coveredca.com or 800-300-1506) to get help signing up for coverage. Many uninsured people will get help paying for insurance through Covered California.
If you and your minor children have enrolled in one of the County’s health plans, you do not need to do anything else to comply with the individual mandate.
If you are eligible for but not enrolled in one of the County health plans, or your minor children are uninsured, ensure that you and your minor children have coverage by January 1, 2014. For example, you might enroll in one of the County’s health plans during the upcoming County Open Enrollment period, October 15 through November 15.
If you are not eligible for health insurance through the County, you must ensure that you have insurance coverage by January 1, 2014 that meets the minimum standards to comply with the individual mandate and avoid federal tax penalties. Contact Covered California at www.coveredca.com or 800-300-1506 for more information. Note that the County does not contribute to the cost of a health plan purchased through Covered California.
If you have questions about this notice, contact Human Resources, Employee Benefits, at 650-363-1919 or benefits@smcgov.org.