It’s February 2 . . . Groundhog Day. Every year I celebrate by watching the 1993 classic film with Bill Murray, sharing the main character Phil’s frustration as he finds himself in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again.
This week, the House will vote on a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Does voting on the ACA sound familiar? It should. Over the past four years, the House has voted over 50 times to undo, revamp or tweak the law. Votes have occurred six times for a full repeal and this week will be the seventh. It reminds me of being stuck in the Groundhog Day time loop—voting on the ACA again and again.
A few quick tidbits on the latest ACA news:
- 9.5 million people are signed up for coverage under the ACA. Open enrollment ends on February 15.
- The latest Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll revealed that 40% approve of the ACA and 46% do not.
- This year, taxpayers will be asked to provide information about their health insurance on their federal income tax forms. Those who aren’t covered will pay a penalty of at least $95 per adult, unless they qualify for an exemption.
- Complying with the ACA continues to challenge employers and health plan sponsors. This year, many are gathering data to comply with two new IRS reporting requirements under Internal Revenue Code Sections 6055 and 6056.
Spoiler alert! In the movie Groundhog Day, Phil ends up making the most out of his unfortunate situation by spending each repeated day helping people and making a difference in town. Will the ACA have a similar happy ending? Time will tell.
Impress your friends by quoting this amusing Groundhog Day line:
Phil: Do you ever have déjà vu, Mrs. Lancaster?
Mrs. Lancaster: I don’t think so, but I could check with the kitchen.
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