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Cost seen as biggest obstacle to employer-offered insurance

Quick View. Dec. 1, 2008.

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Among employers that do not offer employee health insurance
15% Are unwilling to offer a plan no matter the cost
18% Can't afford to pay for any coverage
26% Would pay up to $50 per employee per month for coverage
20% Would pay between $51 and $100 per employee per month for coverage
12% Would pay between $101 and $200 per employee per month for coverage
10% Would pay more than $200 per employee per month for coverage
Primary reason for not offering coverage
43% Can't afford it
20% Employees are covered under other plans
9% Too much turnover
9% Employees prefer more pay
2% Too difficult and time-consuming to administer
18% Other reasons

As some policymakers push employer health insurance mandates as a way to ease the problem of the uninsured, some companies are likely to push back.

A recent Mercer survey of 545 firms that don't provide health insurance to employees found more than a third were unwilling or unable to pay for any insurance. More than a quarter of those who would be willing to pay drew the limit at $50 per month


Note: Survey results do not add up to 100% because of rounding.

Source: National Survey of Employer-Sponsored Health Plans, Mercer, October; (www.mercer.com/summary.htm?idContent=1325605)

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