About one in 10 employers in the United States say they’ll drop health coverage for employees in the next few years as the major provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act take effect, and more indicated they may do so over time, a survey by consulting company Deloitte finds.
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Opponents of health reform have argued that employers dropping health coverage is an unintended consequence of the law that will negatively affect employees who want to stick with the coverage they know and like.
Employer-sponsored health insurance covers more than 160 million Americans.
There’ve been conflicting reports over how many employers will drop coverage for employees, with Deloitte’s report predicting a lesser impact than some. Last year, consulting firm McKinsey & Co. drew fire from when they stated 30 percent of respondents will “definitely” or “probably” stop offering employer-sponsored health insurance after 2014.
According to the Deloitte survey, 9 percent of companies said they expect to stop offering insurance in the next one to three years. Around 81 percent said they plan to continue providing benefits, and 10 percent weren’t sure. Most employers said they offer health benefits to attract and retain employees and sustain job satisfaction.