Employers for Flexibility in Health Care
Employers for Flexibility in Health Care (E-Flex) is a coalition of corporations, organizations, and trade associations that oppose portions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) such as the current definition of a full-time employee, wait periods, auto-enrollment, affordability and minimum value standards, employer reporting requirements, interaction with insurance exchanges and federal agencies, and federal tax penalties.[1] The International Franchise Association describes the E-Flex coalition as "strong supporters of employer-sponsored coverage [who] have been working to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in ways that help ensure that employer-sponsored coverage...remains a competitive option for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees."[2]
E-Flex has been advocating against the ACA's definition of a full-time employee since 2011.[3] It wants the definition of full-time employee to change from 30 hours a week to 40 hours a week, believing that without this change employers will not schedule employees more than 30 hours a week and that employers will not allow employees to have flexible hours.[4]
E-Flex members claim that the change to the definition of full-time employee will allow employers to give more hours to employees, give more "generous" health coverage to full-time employees, and ensure that lower-income employees have access to more affordable health care options.[4]
However, raising the threshold for full-time employment to 40 hours a week, if employers are truly lowering employee hours to avoid health costs, would place nearly five times more workers at risk for reduced hours and loss of health coverage, as many more employees work 40 or more hours a week than work around 30 hours a week, according to The Hill.[5]
E-Flex members also advocate heavily for a monthly-basis calculation for determining full-time employee status under the ACA.[3] E-Flex members claim that they have an inability to predict which employees could be full-time employees due to their respective industries' reliance on large numbers of part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers.[3]
2015 Members
Executive Committee as of March 2015:[6]
Steering Committee as of March 2015:[7]
- 7-Eleven
- Allegis Group
- American Hotel and Lodging Association
- Associated General Contractors of America
- Gap Inc.
- International Franchise Association
- Kelly Services
- ManpowerGroup
- National Association of Convenience Stores
- National Association of Health Underwriters
- National Association of Home Builders
- National Grocers Association
- National Retail Federation
- Randstad US
- Robert Hall International, Inc.
- Society of American Florists
Reported Lobbying Expenditures
E-Flex makes political expenditures through the Retail Industry Leaders Association.:[8]
2014:[9]
- $460,000 on lobbying
2013:[10]
- $460,000 on lobbying
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Retail Industry Leaders Association, "Employers for Flexibility in Health Care (E-Flex) Coalition," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
- ↑ International Franchise Association, "Employers for Flexibility in Health Care," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Retail Industry Leaders Association, "Employers for Flexibiilty in Health Care Coalition Comment Letter," organizational website, June 17, 2011.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Retail Industry Leaders Association, "Employers for Flexibility in Health Care Coalition Comment Letter," organizational website, January 22, 2015.
- ↑ Elise Viebeck, "Lobbyists Push to Change ObamaCare's Definition of Full-time Work," The Hill, September 19, 2014.
- ↑ Retail Industry Leaders Association, "Employers for Flexibility in Health Care (E-Flex) Coalition," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
- ↑ Retail Industry Leaders Association, "Employers for Flexibility in Health Care (E-Flex) Coalition," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
- ↑ The Center for Responsive Politics, "Lobbying Summary 2014: Retail Industry Leaders Association," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
- ↑ The Center for Responsive Politics, "Lobbying Summary 2014: Retail Industry Leaders Association," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
- ↑ The Center for Responsive Politics, "Lobbying Summary 2013: Retail Industry Leaders Association," organizational website, accessed March 10, 2015.
