One in three employers may drop health benefits, report says

[alp227]

Source: Los Angeles Times

The predictions about healthcare keep coming. The latest suggests that nearly a third of employers are likely to stop offering health insurance to employees in 2014 when major federal healthcare-reform provisions kick in. This comes from a new report by McKinsey Quarterly.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated that only 7% of employees would be forced into subsidized-exchange policies, the report said, but the survey of more than 1,300 employers suggests otherwise. That research found that 30% said they would “definitely or probably” drop the insurance policies.

As Reuters notes in its article about the latest prediction: That number rises to more than 50% among employers with a high awareness of healthcare reform.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-healthcare-employer-20110607,0,3210281.story

[Kolesar]

1. That article and its references are thin on details...eom

[George Wythe]

2. Businesses that are not "connected" will not receive the exemptions

which have allowed others to continue offering coverage.

[ChrisBorg]

3. The exemptions also expire.

[DallasNE]

4. What Happened In Massachusetts

How many companies dropped health insurance coverage in that State. Should that not be a reliable model to base expectations? Is the LA Times just spreading the GOP message of fear? It sure looks like it.

[wordpix]

5. the silver lining may be that if people lose their employer-sponsored health insurance,

they will demand Medicare for all.

I hope.

[Ka hrnt]

6. I have to agree....

..at the very least, something so blatantly devastating as losing their health insurance might, just MIGHT finally "spark" the middle class to vent its outrage over what's happening.

[gkhouston]

19. You think we'll still have a middle class in 2014? Optimist. n/t

[unblock]

8. it's a hard way to go about setting it right, but that's best in the long run

employer-based health care was an odd concept from the start.


the problem with long-run solutions, of course, is that in the long-run we're all dead.

[onpatrol98]

7. Must be a mistake...

The President assured Americans...those that wanted to keep their insurance...could...oh wait, I forgot...we were never able to trust employers or healthcare providers.

[Doctor Hurt]

12. This is a good result.

I'm not complaining.

[customerserviceguy]

9. A $2,000 penalty for not covering employees

is going to look pretty cheap compared to what health insurance will cost in 2014. I see the costs of this miserable attempt at HCR ballooning.

Why not just go to single-payer, and get it all over with? Keeping the so-called 'health insurance' companies in control of premiums is the undoing of last year's legislation.

[Igel]

10. Well, if it adds to the deficit,

doesn't that mean it wouldn't have been signed?

[No Elephants]

16. Are we speaking theoretically or are we speaking about reality?`

[Lasher]

13. Employers should not be counted on to provide health insurance.

Obama should have had the courage to go for a single payer system, modeled after the one in Canada or France. "Why not?" you ask. A rhetorical question I'm sure, since you must be aware that Obama and members of Congress are afraid of insurance companies and big business in general.

[Auntie Bush]

11. No wonder the Insurance Co'sand Rethugs hate Obamacare so much.

Also Rethugs would get a lot less donations from their buddies.

[Bandit]

14. A blessing in disguise

There is no reason in hell why your employer should be responsible for your health care.. America is the ONLY country where that is the case..It puts a ball and chain on employees. They can not leave for fear of losing their health insurance so get stuck in a job they don't want..Not good for the employer or the employee and certainly not good for American business that is trying to compete around the world where the business's they are trying to compete with do not have such a huge expense..

[Tempest]

15. McKinsey & Company is a conservative business friendly organization

McKinsey isn't an unbiased source.

[No Elephants]

17. Please name an unbiased source.

[Tempest]

20. Do you consider the CBO to be unbiased?

Or is it on your tin foil hat list?

[No Elephants]

18. Um...duh.