Compliance

So, its settled, then. Health care reforms here to stay. At least for now. All eyes are now on November.

For HR pros, things are starting to pile up. And little by little, theyll have to confront the administrative and financial burdens of providing health coverage. Its a commitment many employers are making even as were a mere 18 months from the most crucial health care reform regulations.

Although theyre certain the upheld health care overhaul will add to already rising health benefits costs, benefits managers are breathing a sigh of relief that the Supreme Court decided to leave all of health care reform intact.

Employers have been in wait-and-see mode pending the Supreme Court decision on health care reform legislation. If the court had overturned it, several mandates would have been scrapped for employers. Now they will need to quickly turn their attention to fulfilling requirements that face serious penalties for non-compliance.

ATLANTA There was a lot of scowling during a health reform session at the Society for Human Resource Management's annual conference on Monday.

Only 35.7 percent of human resources professionals are fully confident that they are compliant with federal regulations, according to a new poll by Corporate Synergies Group, an employee benefits broker and consulting firm.

The Social Security Administration considers the number of quarters of coverage you earned to determine if you are insured. What is the minimum number of QCs needed to be fully insured?

Even as they wait for the Supreme Court to rule on health care reform, employers are still on the hook to fulfill requirements that are effective as early as this fall.