Government
Cost seen as biggest obstacle to employer-offered insurance
■ An occasional snapshot of current facts and trends in medicine.
Quick View. Posted Dec. 1, 2008
| Among employers that do not offer employee health insurance | |
|---|---|
| 15% | Are unwilling to offer a plan no matter the cost |
| 18% | Can't afford to pay for any coverage |
| 26% | Would pay up to $50 per employee per month for coverage |
| 20% | Would pay between $51 and $100 per employee per month for coverage |
| 12% | Would pay between $101 and $200 per employee per month for coverage |
| 10% | Would pay more than $200 per employee per month for coverage |
| Primary reason for not offering coverage | |
| 43% | Can't afford it |
| 20% | Employees are covered under other plans |
| 9% | Too much turnover |
| 9% | Employees prefer more pay |
| 2% | Too difficult and time-consuming to administer |
| 18% | Other reasons |
As some policymakers push employer health insurance mandates as a way to ease the problem of the uninsured, some companies are likely to push back.
A recent Mercer survey of 545 firms that don't provide health insurance to employees found more than a third were unwilling or unable to pay for any insurance. More than a quarter of those who would be willing to pay drew the limit at $50 per month
Note: Survey results do not add up to 100% because of rounding.
Source: National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, Mercer, October; (link)
Copyright © 2008 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
