Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: implications of status grandfathered plan.

What is the perspective of today's employers when facing the decision of whether to retain status as a grandfathered plan under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? This article reviews the mandated benefit and underwriting changes for grandfathered employer group health insurance plans. It then describes the challenges employers face in maintaining grandfathered status and the potential advantages and disadvantages to doing so. Finally, the author demonstrates how the employers' perspective is one where the absence of government information and guidance on complex-related issues prevents employers from making fully informed decisions. In effect, employers are being forced to choose whether to maintain grandfathered status without the benefit of knowing what the final rules are.