In a topsy-turvy landscape, workers must take time to educate themselves

Understanding healthcare law is rapidly becoming a personal responsibility for U.S. based employees. In previous years, the annual enrollment cycle for American employer-sponsored healthcare programs brought with it a bevy of publications and articles explaining the choices each employee faced. For 2012, many employees will no longer be receiving even a pretense at such advice.

The reason? Guidance is simply not available. 2012 marks the beginning of a new healthcare landscape for many U.S. firms, meaning they haven’t had the lead time or experience with new legislation to develop reliable employee gu....