As originally enacted, the ACA included an annual deductible limit that applied to health plans offered in the small group market. This limit became effective for plan years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2014. Effective for 2014 plan years, the ACA provided that the annual deductible may not exceed:
- $2,000 for self-only coverage; and
- $4,000 for family coverage.
The ACA required the deductible limit to be adjusted annually. For 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that the annual deductible limit would increase to $2,050 for self-only coverage and $4,100 for family coverage.
Repeal of Annual Deductible Limit
The repeal of the annual deductible limit will provide small employers with more flexibility to control premium costs by selecting a health plan with a higher deductible. However, the out-of-pocket maximum, which includes the deductible amount, and the ACA’s actuarial requirements for small health plans will continue to limit enrollee cost-sharing in small employer plans.
Small employer health plans that have started their 2014 plan years (for example, calendar year plans) were already required to incorporate the ACA’s annual deductible limit, unless a higher limit applied due to the actuarial value exception. It is not likely that these plans will be affected by the repeal of the ACA’s deductible limit until their 2015 plan years.
However, small employer health plans that have not started their 2014 plan years (for example, health plans with a Nov. 1 to Oct. 31 plan year) may be able to avoid the ACA’s deductible limit altogether.