SOME GA. BUSINESS LEADERS WELCOME DELAY

Georgia business leaders welcomed the news that insurance mandate penalties will be delayed a year, saying the shift buys the affected businesses more time to deal with the complexities of the law and its requirements. But they said the change will only affect only a small group of employers in a few main industries, and they noted that it’s a reprieve, not a repeal.

Christy Williams, chief operating officer of the Kennesaw-based National Franchisee Association, which represents independent restaurant entrepreneurs including Burger King franchisees, said,“We think this is excellent news. It doesn’t change the components of the law. But it allows the business community time to understand the law better and to know their responsibilities better.

“A lot of these regulations just came out this year,” she said, “and it’s hard to understand something with this complexity when it just came out. This (delay) definitely provides more time to comply.”

“It’s a positive thing. Maybe this delay will give the mechanics and the regulatory aspects of the Affordable Care Act a chance to catch up with the rhetoric,”said Kyle Jackson, National Federation of Independent Businesses Georgia state director. “But you don’t jump up and down about it,” he added,“because it’s temporary. We’ve held the position from the beginning that employers shouldn’t be required to provide (insurance) in the first place.”

“This news is going to be of interest to those (employers) who traditionally did not offer (insurance) but would have to expand coverage by law in 2014,” said David Bottoms, senior vice president, benefits of Mariettabased The Bottoms Group.

He said some employers who would be affected may wait before offering coverage because of the cost to do so. Fast-food restaurants, retail businesses and the hospitality industry, he said, will welcome this news.

Some 96 percent of businesses in the U.S. have fewer than 50 employees, according to the Small Business Majority, and they were already exempt. For larger businesses, 96 percent already offer insurance. Only the 4 percent of larger employers that do not offer insurance will be impacted.