Something my mother always reassured me of was that things will get done, little by little. It was very a comforting thing to say when life's stresses started to pile up.

For HR pros, things are starting to pile up. And little by little, they'll have to confront the administrative and financial burdens of providing health coverage. It's a commitment many employers are making even as we're a mere 18 months from the most crucial health care reform regulations.

I'm reminded of where we were just a year ago. Last June, McKinsey made waves with a survey that found around 30 percent of employers were going to drop health insurance because it could be cheaper than keeping up with rising health insurance costs, and it would be better economics for them to pay the employer penalty.