Federal Programs
Learn more about these federal programs and how they impact your benefits.
Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly shortened to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and nicknamed Obamacare, is a United States federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.
Click here for more information on the Affordable Care Act.
COBRA
The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances, such as voluntary or involuntary job loss.
Click here for more information on COBRA.
ERISA
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established pension and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans.
Click here for more information on ERISA.
FMLA—Family Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) is a United States federal law requiring covered employers to provide employees job-protected and unpaid leave for qualified medical and family reasons.
Click here for more information on FMLA.
Government Disability
Social Security pays disability benefits to people who are unable to work due to a medical condition that is expected to last at least one year or result in death. To find out if you qualify and how Social Security can help you, see the link below.
Click here for more information.
HIPAA—Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The HIPAA Privacy Rule. The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically.
Click here for more information on HIPAA.
Medicare
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, sometimes called ESRD).
Click here for more information on Medicare.
Social Security
Social Security has provided financial protection for our nation’s people for over 80 years. Chances are, you either receive Social Security benefits or know someone who does. With retirement, disability, and survivors benefits, Social Security is one of the most successful anti-poverty programs in our nation’s history.
