A Third of Employers Express a Low Familiarity with Health Care Reform

January 27, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – The Health Care Reform 360 national study by Market Strategies International finds there is low familiarity overall with health care reform among an estimated one-third of employers.

According to a news release, familiarity is highest among larger employers, those currently offering benefits, and those planning to drop or not offer coverage in 2014. 

It seems familiarity with specific reform provisions is related to the implementation timeline and media focus. Provisions of the law that employers are most familiar with include: 

  • The dependent child age extension, 
  • Prohibition of exclusions based on pre-existing conditions, 
  • The employer mandate itself, and 
  • The elimination of lifetime dollar maximums. 

 

 

 “We would expect, and have found, that larger companies which typically have dedicated benefits staff and consultants tend to be more familiar with the law than smaller firms.  What is surprising is that employers who are unlikely to offer health benefits in 2014 also tend to have higher levels of familiarity. This indicates that a number of employers are actively educating themselves and their companies and weighing their options very thoughtfully,” said Susan McIntyre, senior vice president in the company’s Health Care Division, in the news release.  

The study suggests an estimated 10% net decline in access to employer-sponsored benefits in 2014 (see Survey Finds 10% Net Employer Health Benefits Loss in 2014).  

For the study, Market Strategies conducted a Web survey between October 27 and November 8, 2010, using the Research Now Web panel with a national sample of 1,065 adults.

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