The 2012 Towers Watson/National Business Group on Health Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care provides many strategic insights into the actions and plans of leading U.S. employers. It also offers views of what the future of employer provided health care in the U.S. may look like this year and in the coming three years.
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Summary of Findings
Employer-sponsored insurance is the leading source of health insurance, covering about 150 million nonelderly people in America.1 To provide current information about the nature of employer-sponsored health benefits, the Kaiser Family Foundation (Kaiser) and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HR ET) conduct an annual national survey of nonfederal private and public employers with threeee or more workekers. This is the thirteeeenth Kaiser/HR ET survey and reflects health benefit information for 2011.
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Under the old health care system, many businesses found it difficult, if not impossible to provide health insurance benefits to their workers. Over the past decade the percentage of small firms offering coverage decreased and many businesses have suffered under the weight of high health care costs.
The Affordable Care Act helps make it easier for employers to provide health benefits. This year, small businesses are eligible for health care tax credits and starting in 2014, small businesses with up to 100 employees will have access to state-based Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Exchanges, which will expand their purchasing power. Additionally, the Business Roundtable estimated that provisions in the legislation could save $3,000 per person in health costs
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While there are over 2,000 plus pages of rules and regulations associated with health care reform we have created a listing that will help identify some of the most important items employers should pay attention to over the next several years.
Just had this article published today.
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Family Health Premiums Rise 3 Percent to $13,770 in 2010, but Workers’ Share Jumps 14 Percent
This annual survey of employers provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing provisions, and other relevant information. The survey continued to document the prevalence of high-deductible health plans associated with a savings option and included questions on wellness benefits and health risk assessments. The 2010 survey included 3,143 randomly selected public and private firms with three or more employees (2,046 of which responded to the full survey and 1,097 of which responded to an additional question about offering coverage). Researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, and Health Research & Educational Trust designed and analyzed the survey.
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Certain plan design changes must be made for the upcoming plan year, even if the plan is grandfathered. Other provisions of the Act may impact design and administration so sponsors will want to consider them now.
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When you are sick and have to go to the hospital, you want to know that you’re getting the highest quality care. And if you’re choosing between hospitals, you should be able to make an informed choice and compare the quality of hospitals in your area. That’s where HealthCare.gov comes in.
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