Vitable Health – Get ACA Compliant Benefits Quote

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Stay ahead of ACA compliance

The Employer Mandate under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to create confusion for Applicable Large Employers (ALEs) across the country. While many MEC plans technically meet compliance standards, they often fall short of providing the everyday care employees actually need.

Vitable’s Primary Care-first model helps employers meet ACA requirements through affordable, easy-to-administer MEC plans, backed by real, everyday care. Our ACA-compliant MEC plans go beyond just checking the box. They provide your team with meaningful benefits they can actually use, with $0 out-of-pocket costs for primary care.

Stay ahead of ACA compliance

Many employers face steep fines each year due to preventable ACA compliance mistakes. Whether it’s failing to offer Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC), misclassifying employees, misunderstanding full-time equivalent (FTE) calculations, or missing key reporting deadlines, small oversights can lead to big penalties.

Confusion around ACA obligations

Not providing MEC to 95% of employees

Failure to properly track FTEs (full-time equivalents)

Rapid employee growth that crosses ACA threshold

4980H(a) Penalty

$2,970 / employee

The 4980H(a) penalty, often called the “sledgehammer penalty” due to its pass-fail nature, is issued when employees receive a “Premium Tax Credit” to access marketplace coverage.

4980H(b) Penalty

$4,460 / employee

The IRS issues a 4980H(b) penalty when an employer offers its full-time employees coverage that is either unaffordable, does not meet MV, or both.

Once your business hits the threshold of 50 employees, failing to comply with the ACA's employer mandate can result in costly IRS penalties that could drastically impact your organization.

Calculate your potential IRS penalties

Failing to meet ACA requirements can result in steep IRS penalties for each uncovered employee.

Use our calculator to estimate what non-compliance could be costing your business.

ACA Penalty Calculator

*The calculation is only indicative. We will offer you specific calculations and projects only after a thorough consultation.

Getting health coverage can be complicated

Providing health benefits to your team should be simple—but for many employers, it feels anything but. Rising costs, confusing regulations, low employee participation, and overwhelming admin work make it harder than ever to offer coverage that actually works—for your business or your people.

High Cost

Traditional coverage is expensive and often unsustainable for growing teams. Many employers simply cannot afford it.

Low Participation

Employees often skip benefits they don’t understand or can’t afford, leaving them unprotected and dissatisfied.

Administrative Burden

Managing compliance, enrollment, and reporting eats up time and resources, and can lead to costly mistakes.

ACA Compliance

Understanding and meeting ACA requirements can be complex and easy to misinterpret, often leading to costly fines.

MEC plans backed by primary care

Every MEC plan through Vitable comes standard with Vitable’s Primary Care membership. For one low monthly cost paid by the employer, your team and their dependents get unlimited access to essential care, including unlimited sick visits, mental health support, prescriptions, and labs.

No copays, no deductibles, no coinsurance — just simple, reliable care whenever and wherever it’s needed.

Built-In Primary Care & Prescriptions

Built-in Primary Care

Mental Health, Covered

Care That Supports Women’s Health

Essential Labs & Testing

MEC plans that actually deliver care

Most MEC plans meet the minimum—but don’t do much more. Vitable’s MEC plans are different. Backed by Direct Primary Care, they give your team access to real, everyday care with $0 out-of-pocket costs, while helping your business stay ACA-compliant and in control of costs.

Vitable MEC

Vitable MEC Plus

Vitable MEC plans vs. other MEC plans

Other MEC plans

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Minimum Essential Coverage?

Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) is the baseline level of health coverage required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It includes preventive services such as annual checkups, screenings, and immunizations. Employers offering MEC plans can meet ACA requirements and avoid costly penalties.

What is an Applicable Large Employer (ALE)?

An Applicable Large Employer (ALE) is a business or organization that has an average of at least 50 full-time employees or full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) based on the preceding year. An applicable large employer may be a single entity or may consist of a group of related entities.

If there is a group of related entities, these are referred to as ALE members. ALEs are subject to specific provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including employer shared responsibility rules and reporting requirements.

How do I calculate Full-Time Equivalent Employees (FTEs)?

To calculate full-time equivalents (FTEs), add the total hours worked by part-time employees in a month and divide by 120. Combine that number with your full-time employee count (those working 30+ hours per week).

If you have 40 full-time employees and 20 part-time employees who each work 60 hours in a month, you'd calculate:

(20 employees × 60 hours) ÷ 120 = 10 FTEs
40 full-time employees + 10 FTEs = 50 FTEs total
In this case, your business would be considered an Applicable Large Employer (ALE) under ACA rules.

What if my employees need care beyond preventive services?

Vitable’s MEC plans include access to Direct Primary Care, so employees can get essential care for sick visits, mental health, prescriptions, labs, and more—all with $0 out-of-pocket costs. For broader coverage, MEC plans can be bundled with options like Minimum Value Plans, ICHRAs, and ancillary benefits such as vision and dental.

Do MEC plans meet ACA employer requirements?

Minimum Essential Coverage (MEC) plans meet Part A of the ACA employer mandate by satisfying the requirement to offer coverage to eligible employees. However, to meet Part B—which requires the coverage to be affordable and provide minimum value—employers must offer a Minimum Value Plan (MVP) alongside or in place of a MEC plan.

Vitable offers both MEC and MVP options, giving you the flexibility to build a compliant, affordable benefits package that fits your business needs.