Commencing in January 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 requires that large employers automatically enroll all full-time employees in a health insurance plan while offering individual opt-out provisions.

PPACA also requires the Secretary of Labor to issue final regulations on implementing this provision, and just this past week the Department of Labor (DOL) posted a technical release in advance of those final regulations.

The technical release basically reaffirms that the start date for automatic enrollment at companies with 200 or more employees will not commence until the DOL issues a final rule, which the document said would occur just prior to 2014.

The technical release also covers employer shared responsibility and health insurance waiting period compliance.

The employer shared responsibility provision, applicable to companies with 50 or more employees, holds employers responsible for providing affordable health care to all full-time employes, and in the absence of such, to furnish an "assessable payment" to the IRS (read: "fine"). Regarding waiting periods for health insurance to kick in for new employees, the allowable period has been set at 90 days.

Employers, keep your workforces apprised of their rights and responsibilities under PPACA by acquiring and displaying Personnel Concepts' Health Care Reform Employee Information Poster. Get yours today.