Other highlights from the BLR/HRHero 2012 Health Insurance Benefits Survey:
- More than 96 percent of respondents to the health insurance benefits survey said they offer health insurance to workers
- More than 2/3 of respondents pay 75 percent or more of single coverage premiums. That number drops to 40 percent for family coverage
- 74 percent of employers reported their health insurance packages are about the same as last year
- 30 percent said they absorbed some of the increased costs they incurred
- 47 percent reported their costs have not yet been significantly affected by health insurance reforms
- 49 percent said their main priority in 2012 regarding health insurance is reigning in costs
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:
Health Insurance Survey 2012
Does your company offer health insurance to workers?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes |
191 |
96.46% |
|
No |
1 |
0.51% |
|
Don’t Know |
0 |
0.00% |
|
Other |
3 |
1.52% |
|
No answer |
3 |
1.52% |
How does your health insurance package compare with last year’s?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
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 |
1 |
0.51% |
|
Not sure |
0 |
0.00% |
|
Other |
1 |
0.51% |
|
No answer |
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)?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
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 |
0 |
0.00% |
|
Not sure |
3 |
1.52% |
|
Other |
17 |
8.59% |
How much of the health premium does your company pay for FAMILY COVERAGE?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Company pays 100% of premium |
12 |
6.06% |
|
Company pays 75% to 99% |
65 |
32.83% |
|
Company pays 50% to 74% |
48 |
24.24% |
|
Company pays 1% to 49% |
18 |
9.09% |
|
Employee pays 100% of premium |
28 |
14.14% |
|
Not sure |
3 |
1.52% |
|
Other |
20 |
10.10% |
How did your health insurance costs change in the past year?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Rose 1-4% |
24 |
12.90% |
|
Rose 5-9% |
52 |
27.96% |
|
Rose 10-15% |
38 |
20.43% |
|
Rose 16-20% |
12 |
6.45% |
|
Rose 21-30% |
6 |
3.23% |
|
Rose 31-40% |
1 |
0.54% |
|
Rose more than 40% |
2 |
1.08% |
|
Stayed about the same |
30 |
16.13% |
|
Decreased |
13 |
6.99% |
|
Not sure |
3 |
1.61% |
|
Other |
3 |
1.61% |
|
No answer |
2 |
1.08% |
If your health insurance costs rose, did you pass on the cost increase to your employees?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes, we passed on the entire cost of the increase |
16 |
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% |
|
Other |
4 |
2.19% |
|
No answer |
10 |
5.46% |
Does your health insurance plan allow employees to get insurance for their unmarried partners?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes |
54 |
29.35% |
|
No |
99 |
53.80% |
|
Not sure |
20 |
10.87% |
|
Other |
7 |
3.80% |
|
No answer |
4 |
2.17% |
What type of health insurance plan do you offer employees?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
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% |
|
Other |
9 |
4.55% |
Does your company offer or has it considered offering high-deductible health insurance?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
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 |
7 |
3.80% |
|
We don’t have health insurance |
1 |
0.54% |
|
Other |
5 |
2.72% |
|
No answer |
4 |
2.17% |
Do you offer a Health Savings Account to your employees?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes |
53 |
28.96% |
|
No |
123 |
67.21% |
|
Don’t Know |
1 |
0.55% |
|
Other |
4 |
2.19% |
|
No answer |
2 |
1.09% |
Do you offer a flexible spending plan?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes, for childcare |
102 |
51.52% |
|
Yes, for health care |
106 |
53.54% |
|
Yes, for disability insurance |
3 |
1.52% |
|
No |
70 |
35.35% |
|
Other |
2 |
1.01% |
Do you offer employees the two-and-a-half month grace period for reimbursements from a flexible spending account?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes |
73 |
39.89% |
|
No |
27 |
14.75% |
|
Not sure |
12 |
6.56% |
|
We don’t offer a flexible spending plan |
63 |
34.43% |
|
Other |
4 |
2.19% |
|
No answer |
4 |
2.19% |
How have the health insurance reforms (implemented by the PPACA) affected your health insurance plans?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
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 |
7 |
3.85% |
|
Other |
8 |
4.40% |
|
No answer |
16 |
8.79% |
Since the passage of the health care reform legislation, has your organization considered dropping your health care plan(s)?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes, we are planning to drop coverage in the next few years |
1 |
0.55% |
|
Yes, we have had some discussions but are waiting to see how the law is implemented |
17 |
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 |
18 |
9.89% |
|
No, it’s too important to our compensation package |
123 |
67.58% |
|
Not sure |
12 |
6.59% |
|
We have already dropped coverage |
0 |
0.00% |
|
We don’t offer health insurance |
1 |
0.55% |
|
Other |
6 |
3.30% |
|
No answer |
4 |
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)?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Yes |
17 |
8.59% |
|
No |
63 |
31.82% |
|
Not Sure |
100 |
50.51% |
|
Other |
2 |
1.01% |
What changes do you think your organization’s health care costs will experience in 2012?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Costs will rise significantly |
54 |
29.67% |
|
Costs will rise, but the change won’t be very significant |
70 |
38.46% |
|
Costs will stay pretty much the same with a small rise due to inflation |
35 |
19.23% |
|
Costs will go down |
5 |
2.75% |
|
Other |
7 |
3.85% |
|
No answer |
11 |
6.04% |
What do you think health care reform will do to your organization’s health care costs in the future?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Costs will rise |
117 |
64.64% |
|
No change |
27 |
14.92% |
|
Costs will go down |
11 |
6.08% |
|
Other |
11 |
6.08% |
|
No answer |
15 |
8.29% |
How do you (or will you) deal with rising health care costs?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
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 |
4 |
2.23% |
|
We may drop health care coverage |
4 |
2.23% |
|
We will start looking at other options |
28 |
15.64% |
|
Other |
9 |
5.03% |
|
No answer |
5 |
2.79% |
What types of plan design changes, if any, are you planning to make in 2012?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
None |
81 |
45.25% |
|
We plan to make significant changes |
2 |
1.12% |
|
We plan to make moderate changes |
34 |
18.99% |
|
We plan to make minor changes |
39 |
21.79% |
|
Other |
13 |
7.26% |
|
No answer |
10 |
5.59% |
What is your main priority this year when it comes to health care benefits?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
Complying with health care reform |
29 |
16.67% |
|
Reigning in costs |
85 |
48.85% |
|
Rethinking our long-term benefits strategy |
39 |
22.41% |
|
Other |
5 |
2.87% |
|
No answer |
16 |
9.20% |
When do you think your current health care plan(s) will lose its grandfathered status under the health care reform law?
| Answer |
Count |
Percentage |
|
It already has |
54 |
30.68% |
|
2012 |
6 |
3.41% |
|
2013 |
11 |
6.25% |
|
2014 |
12 |
6.82% |
|
Sometime after 2014 |
13 |
7.39% |
|
We are doing our best to make sure our plan(s) doesn’t lose its status |
48 |
27.27% |
|
Other |
6 |
3.41% |
|
No answer |
26 |
14.77% |
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