Employers not ready for long-term health reform changes, survey reveals Posted: October 19th, 2010

Mid-sized employers are concerned about changes required by the health reform law, but they are not yet ready to manage those changes in the long-term. Those are some of the findings from a survey conducted by Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a California consulting and brokerage firm.

The company surveyed mid-sized employers across a number of different industries. Some of the survey's key findings include:

• 77 percent name managing costs, for benefits such as health insurance as a top priority
• 71 percent do not have a strategy for addressing the long-term changes required by health reform
• 64 percent said offering competitive benefits, including health insurance, was important
• 43 percent are concerned that the quality of their health plan benefit may be affected because of health reform

While companies are concerned with health insurance coverage, they are less interested in offering employees wellness programs. Only 22 percent of those surveyed planned to offer new programs to encourage healthy habits.

Under the health reform provisions, all businesses with at least 50 full-time employees are required to provide their workers with health insurance benefits. The requirement goes into effect in 2014, and companies that fail to comply will face government fines.