Obamacare Tax Added to Health Plans This Week

Oh, joy

HARRISBURG – A new annual fee charged to health insurance plans and companies that self-insure is due for the first time later this week.

The fee was created by the federal Affordable Care Act and will be used to fund a new federal initiative designed to study the effectiveness of health treatment and outcomes.  Insurance companies and employers that self-insure will be charged $1 per person covered by their insurance plans.

"It's something new, so I think there has been a fair amount of confusion and questions about how does this apply to me," said Kevin Wadle, tax director for Clifton Allen Larson, a national public accounting firm based in Minneapolis.  "Employers, including small employers, are being burdened by taxes and fees that they have never had to worry about before."