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Health care reform passed in March. On requirement was that employers were to start reporting the cost of employee group coverage on employee W-2′s for tax years after January 1, 2011.

This week, the IRS and Department of Treasury announced, in Notice 2010-69, that the reporting requirement will be delayed one year until 2012 (reporting in 2013).

The IRS also posted draft copy of the W-2 for 2011. Employers adapting the new regulations can report health care group plan costs for 2011 by reporting the cost in Box 12 of the W-2 with the symbol DD. As always, check with your tax professional.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will face many legal challenges between now and final implementation in 2014. One such challenge, filed by the Thomas More Law Center in Michigan, has been substantially dismissed by the federal court hearing the case.

Dismissing the Center’s first and second claims in the case and denying an injunction, Judge George Steeh held that the Commerce clause gives Congress the authority to impose an individual mandate on U.S. citizens that they obtain health coverage. The case is Thomas Moore Law Center, et al., v. Barack Obama, U.S. District Court, Easten District of Michigan, Southern Division, 10-CV-11156.

At the close of Drive Safely Work Week, today’s activity is to have employees and “all levels of management” make a pledge to drive safely.

“Ask employees to think about whom or what is counting on them to drive focused so that they always get there safely… every time.” Such a pledge can be a part of an effective risk management policy concerning distracted driving.

Consumer Reports posted a link to an article their blog posted in August. It discussed a Centers for Disease Control study finding the costs in a one year period “associated with injuries from motor vehicle crashes exceeded $99 billion.”

These are two great articles from a respected source and are particularly timely during Drive Safely Work Week.

$99 billion represents $500 per licensed driver in the United States.

Lowering business insurance rates requires lowering of risk by a business. Since this CDC study (using 2005 data), the risks of distracted driving have become better understood. In fact, the risk of distracted driving has been deemed an “epidemic” by the Department of Transportation and has been the subject of a cooperative effort at the United Nations.

More importantly, did your employees drive safely to work? Do your employees drive safely when they drive for you?

As I mentioned on Friday, this week is National Drive Safely Work Week.

Today’s emphasis is on the use of cell phones. Do you and your employees know your state law regarding the use of cell phones? Most states now have restrictions and bans on cell phone use while driving. It is important that your fleet employees know these restrictions. Also, discuss with your business insurance professional the effects of a cell phone violation on insurance coverage.