The Affordable Care Act market reforms apply to group health plans. On Sept. 13, 2013, the IRS issued Notice 2013-54, which explains how the Affordable Care Act’s market reforms apply to certain types of group health plans, including health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs) and certain other employer healthcare arrangements, including arrangements under which an employer reimburses an employee for some or all of the premium expenses incurred for an individual health insurance policy. The notice also provides guidance on employee assistance programs or EAPs and on section 125(f), which prohibits the use of pre-tax employee contributions to cafeteria plans to purchase coverage on an Affordable Insurance Exchange (also known as a Health Insurance Marketplace).
The notice applies for plan years beginning on and after Jan. 1, 2014, but taxpayers may apply the guidance provided in the notice for all prior periods. On February 18, 2015, the IRS issued Notice 2015-17 which provides transition relief from the excise tax under section 4980D with respect to failures to satisfy the market reforms by certain small employers reimbursing premiums for individual insurance policies, S corporations reimbursing premiums for 2-percent shareholders, and certain health care arrangements for employees with health coverage under Medicare and TRICARE.
The Affordable Care Act provides more options than ever for how you get and pay for coverage. You and members of your family can be covered, even if you have pre-existing health problems. You can apply for financial assistance from the federal government to help pay for care and coverage purchased through the Marketplace. State- and federally run Health Insurance Marketplaces are available to help you shop, compare, and buy health care coverage.
The Affordable Care Act, also known as the health care law, was created to expand access to coverage, control health care costs and improve health care quality and care coordination. The health care law does not change VA health benefits or Veterans’ out-of-pocket costs. Because comprehensive national data for the effects of menu labeling do not exist, FDA did not quantify the benefits associated with section 4205 of the Affordable Care Act and this rule making.
Some Affordable Care Act studies have shown that some consumers consume fewer calories when menus have information about calorie content displayed. Consumers will benefit from having important nutrition information for the approximately 30 percent of calories consumed away from home. Given the very high costs associated with obesity and its associated health risks, FDA estimated that if 0.6 percent of the adult obese population reduces energy intake by at least 100 calories per week, then the benefits of section 4205 of the Affordable Care Act and this rule would be at least as large as the costs.
The Affordable Care Act not only makes health care more affordable for families and small business owners and raises taxes on high earners, large businesses, and the health care industry. It also limits medical deductions. Tens of millions of families will benefit from new tax credits which will help them reduce their premium costs and purchase insurance. American families making less than $250,000 as a group will see their taxes cut by hundreds of billions of dollars.
Bibliography
Affordable Care Act Summary. (1970). On January 13, 2016, from http://obamacarefacts.com/affordablecareact-summary/.
Gay Counselling is a form of therapy for gay clients
The main reason for this form of therapy is to encourage clients to accept their sexual orientation.
It however does not try to change their sexual orientation.
Clients have to affirm their gay identity and at the same time embrace it.
It is worth noting that homosexuality is not a mental illness and should not be treated as such.
Cass’ Homosexual Identity Development Model (Stages of Coming Out).
The Model indicates that there are 6 stages of Coming Out.
1. Identity Confusion
2. Identity Comparison
3. Identity Tolerance
4. Identity Acceptance
5. Identity Pride
6. Identity Synthesis
CLEAR GUIDELINES
-Gay counselling focuses more on assisting clients so that they can be able to recover from the stigma of homosexuality.
– Gays receive a lot of discrimination and therefore require a lot of assistance to help them recover.
– Gay counselors try to learn about the discrimination gays face by consulting the APA.
– Most counselors try to remain neutral by not promoting or rejecting celibacy.
This aims to try and make the clients comfortable.
– It is of great importance for all clients to try and clearly check the medical background of some of the gay counselors to ensure they get the best services.
– Basically, a good counselor with many positive reviews is more likely to assist a patient in comparison to one who has many negative reviews.
RESEARCH
– Gay counselling after conclusive research aims to try and assist clients to try and feel comfortable with both their gender and sexual orientation.
– Research shows that most conflicts arising in most gay relationships are related to self, family and in some cases religion.
– Extensive research by clinicians shows that gay men together with their families struggle a lot in their communities due to constant discrimination.
– How do gay counselors deal with such issues? They address these problems by acting as mediators.
– This strategy of mediation aims to increase both communication among family members and self-awareness.
IMPORTANCE OF GAY COUNSELLING
– Helps patients to try and recover from daily problems they go through.
– Tries to provide long term solutions to patients.
– Tries to motivate clients and raise their self-esteem .
– Allows patients to air out their problems without feeling uncomfortable. This tries to make them understand that their sexual problems can be dealt with.
– Gay counselling tries to increase self-awareness to both the patients and the family.
– For many, gay counselling has been very beneficial and has really helped them face all their problems without fear.
CONCLUSION
For many couples, seeking this type of counseling is a good way to solve most of the problems they face.
In most cases, discrimination is the most common vice gay couples have to deal with.
