Ever since President Barack Obama took office, employers have been sitting on the edge of their seats expecting health care costs to go through the roof. THE GREAT unknown is what will happen when companies with more than 50 employees will be required to provide health insurance or pay a fine beginning in 2015.
So the news health insurance premiums rose only 3 percent on average for 2013 came as a surprise.
What about all those “Obamacare” privileges — allowing those with pre-existing conditions to get health insurance, allowing children up to age 26 to be on a parent’s policy, eliminating the “doughnut hole” for prescription drug coverage — surely those would send health insurance costs soaring.
Instead, those “perks” have made consumers smarter shoppers. Instead of going to a hospital’s emergency room to treat a critical situation, the diabetic, for example, makes an appointment to see a regular physician when their blood sugars go out of whack.
The unemployed 24-year-old’s broken arm now can be covered by insurance, warding off financial disaster. And Susie’s prescription to treat asthma can be provided year-round, heading off an emergency situation.
Since 1999, health insurance premiums have increased by 191 percent — darn near tripling. Between 1999 and 2004, plans jumped by double digits, according to the Kaiser Health Foundation, which conducted the study.
Employers by and large have had to absorb the additional costs. Employees, too, have shared the pain with higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs to buy medications, see the doctor and receive hospital care.
Today, the average employee pays $1,800 toward the premium of a $6,025 single plan, and almost $5,000 for a $17,000 family plan. Employers typically carry two-thirds of the cost of employee premiums.
As for deductibles, most employees pay in the neighborhood of $1,500 before their insurance takes effect, though the Affordable Care Act provides free coverage, no matter an employer’s plan, for such things as mammograms, annual checkups, immunizations for children and routine injections.
Currently, 92 percent of such companies already offer insurance and it’s expected that as long as insurance premiums remain stable, no widespread effort to “dump” employees onto state and federal marketplaces will occur.
When the larger companies tried to skirt around the issue by reducing large swaths of their workforce to a part-time basis, not only did employees protest, but the move also created a poor work environment.
Many part-time employees are forced to work two jobs, which creates havoc both at home and work.
All in all, providing health insurance to a fulltime crew creates a more stable, productive, and healthy, work environment.
Political strategists say health care reform isn’t a big issue for this upcoming election cycle. Deriding Obamacare isn’t expected to gain Republicans much ground, and conversely, Democrats aren’t touting its success.
When things work, both sides quiet down. That’s how the fabric of life becomes stronger.
— Susan Lynn
Obamacare falls off campaign wagon
