Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court surprised most legal experts and court observers by upholding virtually every part of the health care reform law passed in 2010. In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, 567 U.S. ___ (2012), the Court found that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 does not violate the U.S. Constitution, paving the way for numerous changes in employer-sponsored health plans to take effect. With the court challenges to the Act resolved, employers and insurers must start preparing now to meet the new requirements.

Since the Supreme Court upheld the Act, its requirements that are already in effect continue unchanged. The most notable of these requirements are coverage of adult children up to age 26 and the elimination of caps on lifetime benefits.