(NewsUSA) – Sponsored News – According to the Galen Institute, as of January, more than 70 significant changes have been made to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) since April 2010. These changes range from small clarifications to major shifts. One change that continues to prompt questions from employers and benefits professionals is the pending Cadillac tax, a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost health benefit plans provided by businesses.

Aflac wants to provide a few facts to keep in mind to ensure that you are armed with accurate information about the Cadillac tax and to help guide you through decisions regarding future benefit offerings.

* The Cadillac tax has been delayed until 2020: Originally slated to be effective in 2018, the Cadillac tax will now be effective in 2020. This means that employers do not need to make any changes to their benefits offerings in anticipation of the tax because it is several years away and regulations may evolve.

* Voluntary insurance products do not count towards the Cadillac tax calculation: Voluntary insurance products are defined as “excepted benefits,” which are excluded from most of the ACA’s market reforms. This means that if companies offer supplemental life, dental or accident policies, you are safeguarded against any taxes being imposed.

* Employees are not responsible for paying the tax: Because the tax is based on an employee’s total benefits package, employers are currently responsible for calculating the tax and reporting each benefits administrator’s portion of the tax to the IRS.

Although 2020 may seem far off, now’s the time to become educated about future healthcare coverage options in order to be armed with the knowledge of making good benefits decisions. For more information about the Affordable Care Act and the Cadillac tax, visit aflac.com.