Trucking industry preparation for the Affordable (health) Care Act appears similar to the industry view of the Compliance Safety Accountability program in 2008, TrueNorth Companies representatives said Sept. 13.

Some companies took the following two years to prepare for the enforcement program that was due to begin in late 2010, while others didn’t act and found shipper contracts falling away due to bad rankings in the Safety Measurement System.

TrueNorth urged companies to take a proactive approach to the health-care changes now to avoid being taken by surprise by new requirements and penalties in the future. Even so, potential changes to the law during implementation are likely.

In addition, uncertainty remains about the legality of the individual mandate to buy health insurance in 2014. “There are 26 lawsuits in the judicial system right now” challenging the mandate, said TrueNorth Account Manager Bob Mreen. “Ultimately the fate of the mandate will be decided by the Supreme Court.”

Mreen said such a decision may come down during the 2012 national election. “Personally, I think it’s going to be a bellwether issue, depending on the timing of the Supreme Court decision. Stay tuned, and stay abreast of the changes as they occur,” he said.

For companies utilizing independent contractors, TrueNorth stressed the need for insurers and carriers to talk with contractors about health insurance changes and options. Some points to consider: