Large employers say they are not ready to bail out of their role of acting as the backbone of health insurance coverage in the United States, according to an article published Feb. 7 by the nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI). Though very concerned about rising health benefit costs, employers say they continue to support an employment-based system because they believe they will end up paying “one way or the other” and because they believe the most innovation comes out of the private sector, not out of the government sector, the article says.
Nevertheless, the article notes they are watching competitors closely. If one big sponsor takes the first step and decides to drop benefits, others say they would likely follow, reports the article, “The Future of Employment-Based Health Benefits: Have Employers Reached a Tipping Point?” in the February 2008 EBRI Notes, which summarizes discussion at EBRI’s December 2007 policy forum.
