(NBBJ) - Business owners, particularly the wine industry that makes up a significant proportion of the North Coast economy, need to pay attention to major health care insurance, tax and estate law changes this year to avoid steep noncompliance penalties and mitigate significant tax increases, according to local tax-planning and insurance experts.

Mike Parr, employee benefits broker with Northwest Insurance agency, a subsidiary of George Petersen Insurance, focused on how business owners should prepare for health care reform at a recent roundtable on wine industrial financial issues hosted by accounting firm Moss Adams LLP.

“There are positive aspects of the new health care reform bill at a time when insurance costs are increasing 10 to 20 percent annually,” said Mr. Parr.

Since March 2012, all preventative care is covered by all carriers and plans under the federal Affordable Care Act. Children are also covered up to age 26, and insurers cannot decline coverage for children with pre-existing conditions for individual coverage. Furthermore, lifetime maximums on health insurance plans have been eliminated.