The healthcare reform bill and anticipated increases in the cost of insurance are leading large companies to adjust their healthcare benefits, a new survey shows.
The survey, conducted by the nonprofit National Business Group on Health, found that 53 percent of companies expect to make changes to benefit programs; of those, 70 percent will remove lifetime dollar limits on coverage, and 37 percent plan to change annual or lifetime limits on specific benefits.
Large companies - the NBGH polled 72 of them - also expect health insurance costs to surge next year. In response, 63 percent will raise employees' share of premiums, and 46 percent plan to boost workers' out-of-pocket maximums.
"Many of the plan design changes employers are making are being done to help curb [cost] increases, as they have to do every year," NBGH president Helen Darling said.
The findings of the nonprofit group, which represents corporate interests in health policy discussions, suggest that healthcare will continue to be a significant expense for companies. And the survey hints that employees may be called upon to pay more for their coverage in the coming years.
