Book: It No Longer Makes Sense for Employers to Offer Health Insurance

[hamben]

best article I read last year
http://www.healthreformgps.org/wp-content/uploads/health_care_42914.pdf

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its coming. its not a question of if it a question of when employer based health insurance meets the same fate as the dinosaurs...
Reduce Tax Preferences for Employment-Based Health Insurance | Congressional Budget Office

 

[insuranceconceptscindy]

My husband works for a worldwide company and he comes to me last Fall, very nervous, afraid they will lose their great benefits. I tell them that they might tweak the benefits, but they won't take them away. Why? Because it is how they get and keep their employees. I have to remind my husband that he has moved from one company to the next for the benefits they offer.

When you are dealing with skilled trades, with competition, they MUST have great benefits, or the employees will go elsewhere. Money isn't always everything.

So, huge companies aren't going to eliminate their benefits, but the smaller companies will certainly consider it. I would rather give my, hypothetical, workers a few hundred dollars more, and let them decide what benefits work best for them; than pick a plan that costs my company an arm and a leg which my workers don't really like. I'm a proponent of personal choice.

 

[tonyisme]

I agree... And the nice thing is those group intl. Group major medical plans will still cover him in the States as well as utilizing the multi-country networks for whatever country he's in at the time

 

[cmcook61]

I don't think that the Millennials will like that.

 

[RWKAgency]

In NJ it still makes sense to maintain group coverage although employers are dropping plans left and right. To put employees who used to be on decent POS plans or somewhat comprehensive PPO plans, to be put on a medal plan EPO is a poor deal.
I don't know how much longer this will be the case as NJ SG insurance is getting more and more expensive every year.

 

[yorkriver1]

One fall out from discontinued plans, or those with rates that drive employees elsewhere.
Employees are so used to "not seeing" the money that is deducted from their weekly or bi-weekly payroll checks, it's a shock to them to have to think beyond a quick choice at open enrollment.
The thing I see is employees letting insurance lapse for non-pay due to poor money managment and "can't pay all that at once" situations.
Even those with middle class incomes, no subsidy.

 

[AllenChicago]

I have one micro group where the employer is still paying the premium for 3 employees. Money auto-deducted monthly by BCBSIL. Pre-2013 plans. Who's legally responsible for letting this employer know that this practice is now illegal and finable.

1. Employer
2. Accountant
3. Government
4. Other

p.s. BCBSIL is canceling all these Grandmothered transitional plans on 12/31/2015.

 

[tonyisme]

And so is bcbsaz

 

[sman]

I have one micro group where the employer is still paying the premium for 3 employees. Money auto-deducted monthly by BCBSIL. Pre-2013 plans. Who's legally responsible for letting this employer know that this practice is now illegal and finable.

1. Employer
2. Accountant
3. Government
4. Other

p.s. BCBSIL is canceling all these Grandmothered transitional plans on 12/31/2015.

I don't know who's legally responsible, but as the agent I would notify them. I would also state that they should confirm this with their accountant so as to not be giving any legal or tax advice. There is enough info out there to point them in the direction to see it in black and white.

 

[houcoogster]

I don't see group going away. Now with the recent PPO cancellations On exchange we may see more 2 man groups popping up.

Now if the tax status of benefits changes to after tax.............