Q.- Does the Affordable Care Act force us to allow employees 30 days to enroll in coverage?
A.- The ACA does not require a general open enrollment period to last any specific period of time. A HIPAA special enrollment period must last 30 days from the event (such as enrollment upon the birth of a child).
The ACA rules require that an employee who is being offered coverage have an “effective opportunity” to enroll in the coverage. The employee has to have adequate notice of the availability of the offer of coverage and be advised of the time period during which the offer of coverage can be accepted. An effective opportunity to enroll in coverage is not defined by a particular number of days.
