January 1, 2014 (as of now, anyway) the Health Insurance Marketplace will open, meaning more work on the employers part for providing health insurance to employees.
Open enrollment begins October 1, 2013. If I wasn’t in payroll, I wouldn’t have a clue about this. There’s been little media coverage, and the Department of Labor (DOL) isn’t known for their promotional expertise.
The Affordable Care Act created new requirements for FLSA that say the employer must provide a notice with specific information to employees about the Marketplace. This notice has to be provided by October 1, 2013.
What has to be on the notice? A model letter is available at www.dol.gov/ebsa/healthreform/ . It’s a bit lengthy at 3 pages, but it seems very comprehensive. You can get more information on Healthcare.gov .