The Washington Post reported how employers expect to pay between 4 percent and 5 percent more for workers’ health benefits in 2015, despite implementing numerous cost-saving measures. According to multiple surveys distributed to thousands of mid-sized and large companies, the projected cost increase is in line with previous years, but the continued pressure from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and steadily increasing health care costs have required businesses to find new ways to cut overall health costs.
One survey found that 81 percent of employers said they plan to moderately or substantially change their health benefits to reduce costs in anticipation of the ACA’s excise tax, which is scheduled to take effect in 2018. In addition, the survey also realized that while most employers do not plan to shift employees to high deductible plans, about 75 percent said they plan to add at least one measure designed to incentivize consumers to buy more affordable care, such as pricing tools, claims assistance programs or second-opinion services. Approximately one-third of employers have cut or are considering cutting subsidies for employees’ spouses in 2015, while 26 percent said they are considering enacting a surcharge or eliminating spousal coverage if alternative coverage is available.
The survey also found that while 99.5 percent of employers do not plan on shifting employees into public health insurance exchanges, 25 percent are considering moving them into private exchanges by 2016 and 33 percent stated that they plan to expand telemedicine options for their employees.
