Blog
Employer Mandate Provision Under the Affordable Care Act Delayed Until 2016
The White House announced that employers with 50 to 99 workers will be given until 2016 before they will be penalized for not compliying with the Affordable Care Act. The announcement marks a 2 year delay from what was originally called for in the Affordable Care Act (January 1, 2014). Another interesting twist is that employers with 100 or more workers are now being required to provide 70 percent of their full-time workers with health coverage by 2015 instead of the previously determined amount of 95%.
Although the government has not spelled out the details on the requirements of an employer-sponsored health plan, an official set of rules will be coming out in the near future telling employers how they must report the status of their employee's insurance status to the government.
For more information, please check out this article by the Washington Post. Spooner will continue to provide more information about the Affordable Care Act as it becomes available.
2025-26 Safety Council Rebate Program
Posted By Brandy King
June 05, 2025
Category: General
Along with the new Ohio BWC policy year beginning on July 1, 2025 – one of their most beneficial programs now has an increased ROI for employers. Participating in a local safety council is beneficial not just for the savings – but also the education, networking, and locating resources to aid your internal safety programs. Ohio businesses have until July 31, 2025 to sign on for the 2025-2026 program. Your company can earn a 3% rebate (not to exceed $5000) on ’25-26 policy year premiums by attending 10 in-person safety council meetings. At least eight (8) of these must be attended through the safety council you’re enrolled with, and up to two (2) credits can be earned through attending BWC-sponsored in-person or virtual events, or in-person training from external sources like your TPA or trade organizations and Chambers of Commerce. Remember – to get the 3% rebate, your policy premiums must be current and your most recent True-Up should have been completed on time. This rebate program can be combined with Group Rating, Group Retro and virtually any other BWC program your company participates in. For more information on the Safety Council Program, reach out to us at 440-249-5260 or check out this
A Big Thank You from the Spooner Team!
Posted By Brandy King
June 05, 2025
Category: General
We’d like to sincerely thank every Ohio employer that chose Spooner Medical Administrators, Inc. (SMAI) as their MCO during MCO Open Enrollment last month, as well as those loyal clients who chose to remain with our MCO. SMAI continues to experience sustainable, organic growth, thanks to the partnerships we have with Chambers of Commerce, trade organizations, Associations, and simply by word of mouth. SMAI has grown in both policies assigned and claims managed, and was also one of only four MCOs to see a net growth during Open Enrollment. The team at SMAI is excited to begin building partnerships with the hundreds of new employers that moved to Spooner Medical Administrators this year. Thanks for putting your faith in us, Ohio businesses! We can’t wait to meet even more new customers when the next Open Enrollment rolls around in
2 Hour Safety Training Deadline for 2024 PY
Posted By Brandy King
June 05, 2025
Category: General
If your company participated in Group Rating or Group Retro during the 2024 policy year (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025) and had a claim during the green year(s), you’re required to complete two hours of safety training by June 30, 2025. Please be sure to complete submit the training certificates to your team at Spooner (or your TPA, if you’re not a Spooner client). If you’re unsure if you need to complete this training, reach out to your client services manager. The training doesn’t have to be completed in person – so there’s still time to meet the requirement by participating in one of BWC’s online courses. Here are some details on fulfilling the two-hour training requirement, per the Ohio BWC website. Two-hour Training Options A variety of training sources are available for you to fulfill this requirement. They include the following offered through BWC’s Division of Safety & Hygiene: Education and Training Services Center courses Ohio Safety Congress & Exposition (OSC) safety education sessions Safety council seminars, workshops, or conferences featuring a safety topic that are at least two hours long (Safety council monthly meetings do not qualify.) Guidelines for courses offered through non-BWC training forums The group sponsor, third-party administrator, or an independent source can sponsor a course, provided it meets the two-hour criteria. The topic must be workplace safety rela
Contact
28605 Ranney Parkway
Westlake, Ohio 44145
Phone: 440-249-5260 ext. 153
Hours: 8AM to 5PM
