Following the Supreme Court's June 28 ruling that upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA), any employers that put health care reform preparations on hold in anticipation of the decision should take them up again.

“The message we delivered to our clients the day of the Supreme Court decision is full speed ahead,” says Andy Anderson, a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. “Some people are making the decision to postpone these tasks until after the presidential election, but that could really compromise an employer's ability to respond in time for [2014 deadlines].”

With that in mind, employee benefits lawyers have weighed in to help assemble a health care reform checklist for employers in light of upcoming deadlines both looming and distant.