Many Employers Unprepared for Implementing 2014 Health Reform Requirements

 Planning for the full implementation of healthcare reform compliance requirements has lagged since the Supreme Court ruling this summer legitimizing the law as constitutional. According to the Health Care Reform 360 report from Market Strategies International, most employers have yet to decide whether or not to offer coverage and have failed to learn about their options as time dwindles in the lead up to the January 2014 enrollment deadline.

“Six in ten employers were waiting on the outcome of the presidential and congressional races before making any major plans on how to respond to the law,” said Susan McIntyre, senior vice president of the healthcare division of Market Strategies. “This finding is consistent among all employers whether they currently offer coverage to employees or do not.”

A further six out of ten employers who don’t offer coverage have done nothing to prepare for the impending full implementation of health reform. The primary approach of businesses that have begun preparation were found to be self-education and research; about 30 percent of employers are falling back on Internet searches and governmental portals for information.

“Employers are no more familiar with the law now than they were when it was first enacted in 2010 (65% familiar in 2010 vs. 61% in 2012),” added McIntyre. “There is a real opportunity for health insurance companies and employee benefits brokers, consultants and agents to step in to fill this information and preparation gap, especially now that the clock is really ticking.”