Despite continually rising healthcare costs and impending health insurance exchanges, many employers indicate that they will continue to offer employee benefits to their staff, according to a new industry survey.
In the poll, only two percent of businesses polled would be "very likely" to drop healthcare coverage for their staff after health insurance exchanges become fully operational in 2014. Furthermore, just six percent of respondents indicated that they would be "likely" to forgo the worksite benefits.
This opinion has remained largely unchanged since the Obama administration's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed last year, according to the source.
While many employers do not intend to drop healthcare coverage, the cost of providing healthcare remains a concern for benefit consultants, the source explains. Issues with health insurance expenses have prompted companies to seek other ways to cut costs without dropping employee health insurance coverage – which can be an essential tool for employee retention.
Some businesses reported that they intend to reduce their contributions for dependent coverage. Others may offer a set amount of health insurance funds per employee, regardless of the cost of the individual plan, the source reports.
