New 'pay or play' tools from Unum help businesses evaluate next steps in health care reform

A new collection of tools will help employers navigate through the next crucial decision regarding health care reform – whether to offer health coverage to employees, or pay a penalty instead.

The tools from Unum (NYSE: UNM) are additions to a suite of materials that offer employers expert advice on a total benefits strategy, including financial protection benefits and a strong communication plan.

“Health care reform is influencing the benefits decisions of thousands of companies and millions of Americans,” said Andrew Molloy, assistant vice president of Unum’s health management and insurance programs. “Unum takes seriously its commitment to help our clients navigate through these changes and help them develop benefit strategies to grow their businesses and protect their employees.”

Employers with 100 or more employees must make the health-care pay or play decision in time for employees to begin receiving coverage in 2015. Employers with 50-99 employees are exempt from the mandate until 2016.

Although Unum’s benefits products – such as disability, life, accident and critical illness – are not directly affected by reform, the company has taken an active role in helping employers evaluate the full effects of health care reform on their benefits and their businesses.

Unum’s new decision tools:

• Pay or play interactive tool: Employers can enter their employee information to find out whether they may be subject to the employer mandate — and what penalties they may face.
• Pay or play decision tree: Employers can follow the arrows on this graphic to see the elements that make up the pay or play decision.
• Employer responsibility timeline: This web-friendly version of the roadmap timeline contained in our report, A health care reform roadmap: Key steps and strategies for 2013 and beyond, walks employers through their health care reform decisions from now through 2018.

To access Unum’s new materials and learn more about health care reform and its impact on employers, employees and the benefits industry, visit Unum.com/HealthCareReform.

About Unum

Unum is a leading provider of financial protection benefits through the workplace. The disability insurance leader in the U.S. for 38 years, Unum’s portfolio of financial protection products also includes life, accident and critical illness, which help protect millions of working people and their families in the event of an illness or injury. In 2013, Unum paid $5.5 billion in benefits to nearly 492,000 individuals and their families.

For more information visit us at www.unum.com or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.