Of workers age 50 and over currently receiving employer-sponsored health benefits, 52% think health reform will make their situation “worse off.” Meanwhile, fewer younger workers share their concerns, found a new survey.
Less than half (43%) of workers younger than 50 — and receiving health coverage from their employers — think healthcare reform will put them in a worse situation overall, according to a new survey of 1,502 workers by Mercer.
In just about every aspect of the survey, those closer to retirement viewed health reform’s affect more negatively than their younger counterparts.
Check out the results in these areas:
- Federal income taxes — 68% of older workers feel health reform will hurt their current tax situation (compared to 59% of younger workers).
- Personal expenses for care — 57% of older workers think reform will drive up their expenses (compared to 49% of younger workers).
- Work-sponsored benefits — 46% of older workers feel reform will negatively impact the benefits they currently receive from their employer (compared to 40% of younger workers).
- Choice of doctors, hospitals — 45% of older workers are wary of what health reform will do to their provider options (compared to 35% of younger workers).
- Quality of care — 46% of older workers feel health reform will reduce the quality of the healthcare they receive (compared to 36% of younger workers).
- Access to care — 45% of older workers feel reform will reduce their current ability to access care (compared to 35% of younger workers).
The catalyst for some of these concerns: Tracy Watts, partner in Mercer’s Health and Benefits business, believes it’s the fact that employers are looking to lump more of the costs associated with healthcare reform onto employees.
