If an employer secures coverage during the Special Enrollment Period, will they need to meet standard participation and contribution requirements on renewal or at some point in the future?

It depends on the insurance carrier/exchange. The Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is a once per year opportunity for small employers to enroll in medical coverage even though they do not meet carriers’ standard participation or contribution requirements. The SEP is from November 15 – December 15 for coverage starting January 1.

Covered California for Small Business (CCSB) is the only carrier/exchange of those that Claremont represents that does not require employers to meet participation or contribution requirements on their first renewal or thereafter. From a practical standpoint, if the employer chooses another carrier/exchange and does not meet those requirements by the time of their first renewal, they will likely need to switch carriers (this would have to be done during the SEP). However, with CCSB, they would not need to meet those requirements, so CCSB is the best choice if stability is important to the employer.