Health care

With Obama’s re-election solidifying his signature health care law, Georgia state leaders, health care providers and business owners will be working to prepare for 2014 when much of the Affordable Care Act takes effect.

Starting in 2014, companies will face penalties of about $2,000 per worker, not including the first 30 employees or part-timers, if they don’t provide affordable health insurance coverage. Businesses with fewer than 50 employees are exempt.

Next year is going to be all about business owners getting educated on how the law will affect them and their workers, said Jackson of the National Federation of Independent Business.

Health care providers are also preparing to deal with new regulations.

Hospitals have been working to implement changes, such as upgrading information technology systems, since the law passed in 2010 and continue to move at full speed, said Glenn Pearson, executive vice president of the Georgia Hospital Association.

The trade group is also working with Gov. Nathan Deal, who faces a big question on whether to expand the state’s Medicaid program, a move the law helps fund. The government health care program provides roughly 1.7 million low-income Georgians with health coverage.

“Georgia has a big uninsured problem,” Pearson said. “We’re concerned about ways to get additional coverage.”