Although full implementation of Sections 6055 and 6056 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will be delayed until 2015, certain immediate actions are still required for 2014. Plan sponsors who fail to meet compliance standards will meet with penalties, and even employers who stand to benefit financially from terminating coverage (even with penalties) may still encounter major administrative and employee retention issues. Employers should ready themselves for a wave of healthcare-related questions from employees, and should carefully monitor other changes to ACA employer regulations during the transition to full implementation.
