Insurers, employers react to idea of a health law without an individual mandate

Insurers' "worst nightmare" is that the Supreme Court would overturn the health law's insurance requirement but leave the rest of the overhaul intact. Employers are being advised to continue working toward meeting the law's deadlines.

Boston Globe: Insurers Fear Ruling That Ends Only The Coverage Mandate
It would be the health insurance industry's worst nightmare: if the Supreme Court strikes down the mandate that individuals obtain coverage but leaves the rest of President Obama's signature law intact. Most concerning, industry representatives say, would be the requirement to cover people with preexisting medical conditions without the ability to charge higher premiums for the sickliest (Jan, 3/30). 

Politico Pro: Employers Told Not To Wait For SCOTUS Ruling
What should employers do now that the Supreme Court has thrown the health reform law into greater uncertainty? The same things they were doing before, according to a top business consulting firm that's fielding a lot of nervous questions. The main deadlines businesses face are either so tight that they can't afford to stop working on them, or so far off that they will have time to change their plans once the court rules (Nather, 3/29).

In spite of the uncertainty, the health sector fared well in the markets -

Market Watch: Court Ambiguous On Health Care, But Insurers OK
It's uncertain how the Supreme Court will rule after this week's historic set of hearings on the Affordable Care Act, but insurers seem to be taking comfort in what the justices had to say. The nation's major managed-care providers all enjoyed robust gains in their stock prices Thursday, lifting the health-care sector near the top of the S&P 500. It was the first trading session after the nine justices concluded a rare six hours of arguments over the health-care reform bill that is considered President Barack Obama's signature achievement (Britt, 3/29).