House Passes ACA "40 Hours Is Full-Time" Bill, Could Be Tied to Minimum Wage in Senate

Federal Health Care Reform, Member-Driven Practice Initiatives

This week, 18 Democrats joined with Republicans in the House to change the Affordable Care Act's definition of full-time work to 40 hours per week, an improvement in the law endorsed by the Association.  In the Senate, Susan Collins (R-ME) who has introduced similar legislation that has the bipartisan support of Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), has mentioned tying her 40-hour bill (S. 1188) to an alternative she is trying to put together on the minimum wage bill.  However, the White House has issued a veto threat on the House measure.  "While the Administration welcomes ideas to improve the law, H.R. 2575 would undermine it by shifting costs to taxpayers and causing employers either to drop or to not expand health insurance coverage," according to the Statement of Administration Policy.