5 health reform provisions most employers want repealed
January 17, 2011 by Christian SchappelPosted in: Health care, In this week's e-newsletter - benefits, Latest News & Views, Pay and benefits
It’s no secret that many employers aren’t happy with the new healthcare overhaul – mainly because they don’t think it’ll lower costs. But some of the provisions they dislike most won’t add to their expenses.
A whopping 74% of employers said they expect the healthcare reform law to increase group health plan costs over and above what costs would have been had the law not passed, according to a survey of 430 employers by the Midwest Business Group on Health.
And because of that sentiment, it’s no surprise employers aren’t big fans of the overhaul. But what is surprising are a few of the provisions employers said they most want repealed. Some will have little direct impact on their bottom line.
Example: 72% of respondents said they want the provision repealed that bans employees from using their flexible spending account (FSA) to cover non-prescribed, over-the-counter medications.
Rounding out the five provisions most employers wanted to see removed from the law:
- The requirement to report the cost of healthcare coverage on employees’ W-2 statements (69%)
- The $2,500 cap on FSA contributions, which becomes effective in 2013 (64%)
- The excise tax on the costliest health plans — a.k.a. “Cadillac plans” (61%)
- The requirement that employers offer health insurance vouchers (53%).
Two other reform provisions that ranked very high on the list but failed to gain a majority vote for repeal in the survey are the 2014 requirements that 1) employer get penalized for not offering coverage and 2) that individuals get penalized for not enrolling in a health plan. Each requirement was disliked by 50% of responding employers.
Info: A full summary of the survey will be available here at the end of January.
What reform provisions do you dislike most — or are most in favor of? Share your opinions in the Comments Box below.
Tags: Cadillac Plans, excise tax, flexible spending account, fsa, health insurance vouchers, health reform, healthcare reform, Midwest Business Group on Health, over-the-counter, provisions, W-2 statements
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January 18th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
Newest bumper sticker “If You Think Health Care is Expensive Now, Wait Till It’s Free”
January 19th, 2011 at 8:05 am
When we renewed our health plan last year, the brokers had specifically listed additional “administrative costs” due to the new law. So they are definitely taking advantage of the idea that costs will be driven upward even if that’s not the case. Obama has already censured someone, I can’t remember the company, about blaming the new law for rising costs.
January 25th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
Mike Kromer says “brokers had specifically listed additional “administrative costs” due to the new law. So they are definitely taking advantage of the idea that costs will be driven upward even if that’s not the case.”
But it is the case. The new law does nothing to lower cost. It only drives up the costs. Supply will go down and demand will go up. It requires more admininstrative burdens and requires insurers to insure people who would otherwise be uninsurable.
I know in the liberal utopia, everyone gets everything they need and want for free, but the real world does not work that way. Why are you surprised that the cost would go up. I am grateful that the insurance companies are breaking down the costs.