CHICAGO (Nov. 5, 2010) — Nearly all employees view their health benefits as just as important as their salary, and 43 percent worry these benefits will deteriorate under healthcare reform, according to a survey by Mercer L.L.C., a Nebraska-based benefits consulting firm.
Some 90 percent of people with employer-sponsored insurance say these benefits are as important as their paycheck, and 85 percent said their out-of-pocket expenses for medical care are probably or definitely worth the cost, according to the online survey of 1,500 participants conducted in May and June.
But 43 percent of those surveyed said they see their health benefit situation becoming “worse off” after healthcare reform. Those closest to retirement were the most concerned about the impact of the federal health reform law. Of greatest concern are potential federal income taxes and the cost of care, the survey found.
“It stands to reason that as a result of the recent global recession, high unemployment and general uncertainty, employees have such positive feelings about their employer-sponsored health plan coverage,” said Suzanne Nolan, partner for Mercer's Outsourcing business, in a statement.
This report appeared in Modern Healthcare magazine, a Chicago-based sister publication of Tire Business.