Cleveland-based KeyBank has healthier employees and lower medical costs since it embraced a systemic approach to encouraging employees to become more involved in their well-being.

If you took a wait-and-see approach to implementing health benefit changes until the Supreme Court ruled on the health care reform law, it’s time to kick your planning into high gear. Several short-term deadlines are approaching that require HR’s immedi­ate attention.

Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the legality of the Affordable Care Act, your first responsibility under the law is to ensure that for open enrollment periods beginning Sept. 23 employees receive a summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) and a glossary that defines basic health benefit terms.

In 2014, when the employer-mandate provisions of the Affordable Care Act kick in, 9% of employers may drop health benefits, according to a survey of benefits managers by the consulting firm Deloitte.

Workers’ compensation insurance provides compensation to em­­ployees for loss of income and for medical payments when they’re injured on the job. Since employers ultimately bear the expense of workers’ comp benefits, it’s smart to understand how the system works and the proactive steps you can take to control costs.

When the U.S. Supreme Court decided in June to uphold most of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act health care reform law, the clock started ticking on a number of benefits-related deadlines employers must meet. From summaries of bene­­fits and coverage to health care flex funds to health benefits reporting on 2012 W-2s, now is the time to review your health insurance obligations.

Deloitte has adjusted the salaries of employees who include domestic partners on their medical or dental plans to help offset the taxes they have to pay on the benefit. The perk is available to employees living with same- or opposite-sex registered domestic partners.

On June 28, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Afford­­able Care Act. But the decision does not mean that the validity of the ACA is settled once and for all. Future legal challenges, and, of course, the November elections, may determine the law’s ultimate fate, but for now, prudence is the wisest course of action. Employers should proceed as if the law is constitutional.

Health care costs are expected to grow at about 7.5% next year, reflecting the sluggish economy and employer efforts to hold down expenses, says a new study by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers.

Now that the Supreme Court has up­­held the Affordable Care Act, it’s time to weigh the strategic impact on your organization. Take these five steps to clarify decisions you need to make between now and 2014.

Now that the Supreme Court has upheld the health care reform law, you have an urgent item on your to-do list: Coordinating closely with the payroll department to ensure you're ready to make sure employees’ 2012 tax documents reflect the value of their health benefits.

The Supreme Court’s June decision to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act health care re­­form law means a long compliance to-do list for HR professionals.

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold the health care reform law means HR pros who handle health benefits are now under the gun to comply. A long list of milestones for implementing the ACA were established when the law was enacted in March 2010, and they remain in full force.

The center of the HR universe is in Washington, D.C., this week, as the U.S. Supreme Court issues a key decision affecting hiring of undocumented workers and announces it will hear an important case concerning supervisor harassment in its next term. Oh yeah, and then there's that health care reform case, which should be decided Thursday.