With many provisions of the Affordable Care Act taking effect on Jan. 1, a panel at the monthly Wisconsin Innovation Network luncheon this week at the Sheraton Hotel recommended to “stay on the sidelines.”

That’s because of the ever-changing rules to the law, according to Al Wearing, chief insurance services officer at Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin.

“I’m waiting for the individual mandate to fall apart,” Wearing said. “The rules keep changing. You have the opportunity not to take the leap.”

For example, business owners with a large base of younger employees should consider renewing early to avoid the large rate increases that will be associated with having younger employees, according to Randal Rapier of Insperity, an HR consulting firm.

Wearing noted that business owners with more than 50 full-time employees may eventually purchase their employer-sponsored health insurance through SHOP (Small-group Health Option Plans), once the website is fixed.

The ACA doesn’t impose the $2,000/employee tax penalty on businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

Both Wearing and Rapier recommended consulting with an expert to navigate through the new rules.