By Stephen D. Bruce, PHR Editor, HR Daily Advisor
Other highlights from the BLR/HRHero 2012 Health Insurance Benefits Survey:
Nearly 200 entities participated in the survey. About sixty percent were private, 20 percent non-profit, and 20 percent government. Respondents represent a wide range of industries, and came from all 50 states. There was equal representation of below 50 employees and above 500 employees. Eighty-four percent were non-union.
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Here are the detailed results:
Does your company offer health insurance to workers?
Count
Percentage
Yes
191
96.46%
No
1
0.51%
Don't Know
0
0.00%
Other
3
1.52%
No answer
How does your health insurance package compare with last year's?
Less generous this year
30
15.31%
About the same
146
74.49%
More generous this year
16
8.16%
We don't have health insurance
Not sure
2
1.02%
How much of the health premium does your company pay for SINGLE COVERAGE (i.e., insurance for the employee, not his family)?
Company pays 100% of premium
41
20.71%
Company pays 75% to 99%
93
46.97%
Company pays 50% to 74%
28
14.14%
Company pays 1% to 49%
11
5.56%
Employee pays 100% of premium
17
8.59%
How much of the health premium does your company pay for FAMILY COVERAGE?
12
6.06%
65
32.83%
48
24.24%
18
9.09%
20
10.10%
How did your health insurance costs change in the past year?
Rose 1-4%
24
12.90%
Rose 5-9%
52
27.96%
Rose 10-15%
38
20.43%
Rose 16-20%
6.45%
Rose 21-30%
6
3.23%
Rose 31-40%
0.54%
Rose more than 40%
1.08%
Stayed about the same
16.13%
Decreased
13
6.99%
1.61%
If your health insurance costs rose, did you pass on the cost increase to your employees?
Yes, we passed on the entire cost of the increase
8.74%
Yes, but we absorbed SOME of the increase
54
29.51%
Yes, but we absorbed MOST of the increase (more than half)
31
16.94%
No, we absorbed ALL of the increase
39
21.31%
We didn't have an increase
29
15.85%
4
2.19%
10
5.46%
Does your health insurance plan allow employees to get insurance for their unmarried partners?
29.35%
99
53.80%
10.87%
7
3.80%
2.17%
What type of health insurance plan do you offer employees?
PPO
128
64.65%
HMO
56
28.28%
Point-of-service plan
22
11.11%
Traditional indemnity plan
5
2.53%
High-deductible plan
57
28.79%
9
4.55%
Does your company offer or has it considered offering high-deductible health insurance?
Yes, we've added it as one of our health insurance options
47
25.54%
Yes, we've changed all our health insurance to the high-deductible type
25
13.59%
No, but we're considering it
26
14.13%
No, we don't offer high-deductible insurance
69
37.50%
Don't know
2.72%
Do you offer a Health Savings Account to your employees?
53
28.96%
123
67.21%
0.55%
1.09%
Do you offer a flexible spending plan?
Yes, for childcare
102
51.52%
Yes, for health care
106
53.54%
Yes, for disability insurance
70
35.35%
1.01%
Do you offer employees the two-and-a-half month grace period for reimbursements from a flexible spending account?
73
39.89%
27
14.75%
6.56%
We don't offer a flexible spending plan
63
34.43%
How have the health insurance reforms (implemented by the PPACA) affected your health insurance plans?
The new reforms have made our costs go up
66
36.26%
They did not significantly impact our costs
85
46.70%
I didn't know changes were made
3.85%
8
4.40%
8.79%
Since the passage of the health care reform legislation, has your organization considered dropping your health care plan(s)?
Yes, we are planning to drop coverage in the next few years
Yes, we have had some discussions but are waiting to see how the law is implemented
9.34%
Yes, we have had some discussions but are waiting to see whether it is repealed by the U.S. Congress or struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court
9.89%
No, it's too important to our compensation package
67.58%
6.59%
We have already dropped coverage
We don't offer health insurance
3.30%
2.20%
After the exchanges are implemented in 2014 and it may be easier to obtain coverage in the individual market, are you more likely to eliminate your health care plan(s)?
31.82%
Not Sure
100
50.51%
What changes do you think your organization's health care costs will experience in 2012?
Costs will rise significantly
29.67%
Costs will rise, but the change won't be very significant
38.46%
Costs will stay pretty much the same with a small rise due to inflation
35
19.23%
Costs will go down
2.75%
6.04%
What do you think health care reform will do to your organization's health care costs in the future?
Costs will rise
117
64.64%
No change
14.92%
6.08%
15
8.29%
How do you (or will you) deal with rising health care costs?
We will pass on the increase to employees
19
10.61%
We will absorb SOME of the increase
89
49.72%
We will absorb MOST of the increase
21
11.73%
We will absorb ALL of the increase
2.23%
We may drop health care coverage
We will start looking at other options
15.64%
5.03%
2.79%
What types of plan design changes, if any, are you planning to make in 2012?
None
81
45.25%
We plan to make significant changes
1.12%
We plan to make moderate changes
34
18.99%
We plan to make minor changes
21.79%
7.26%
5.59%
What is your main priority this year when it comes to health care benefits?
Complying with health care reform
16.67%
Reigning in costs
48.85%
Rethinking our long-term benefits strategy
22.41%
2.87%
9.20%
When do you think your current health care plan(s) will lose its grandfathered status under the health care reform law?
It already has
30.68%
2012
3.41%
2013
6.25%
2014
6.82%
Sometime after 2014
7.39%
We are doing our best to make sure our plan(s) doesn't lose its status
27.27%
14.77%
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