Large and midsize U.S. employers have reported having a fairly easy time implementing Affordable Care Act-related health plan changes in 2010.
Towers Watson & Company, New York (NYSE:TW), asked about implementation of the Affordable Care Act – the federal legislative package that includes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – in December 2010, when it conducted a survey of 209 U.S. employers.
About 79% of the employers that participated in the survey said implementing PPACA provisions was easy or somewhat easy in 2010. About 19% of the employers said implementation was somewhat difficult, and 2% said it was difficult.
Most implementation efforts went into explaining a new provision that lets workers in group plans that provide dependent benefits to get coverage for dependents up to age 26.
In other health benefits survey news:
- Fidelity Investments, Boston, and the National Business Group on Health, Boston, found when they surveyed 147 large and midsize employers in September 2010 and October 2010 that the value of wellness incentives is increasing.
The percentage of employers that said they offer wellness incentives increased to 62%, from 47%, and the average total value of program incentives increased to $430 per employee, from $260.
About 12% employers said they impose penalties, such as reductions in employer health plan contributions, on employees who fail to participate in wellness programs.
- The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), Washington, says health savings account and health reimbursement arrangement balances tend to correlate with holders' education as well as their income.
The average personal health account balance was $1,219 for individuals with a high school degree or less, $1,519 for individuals with a college degree; and $1,558 for individuals with a graduate degree.
When broken down by income, the average balance was $1,166 for individuals with less than $50,000 in annual household income, $1,303 for individuals with $50,000 to $99,999 in household income, and $1,742 for individuals with $100,000 or more in household income.
- Avalere Health L.L.C., Washington, says Medicare "dual eligible" patients – patients who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, and have their Medicare premiums paid by the government – have higher claims costs than typical Medicare patients.
Dual eligibles with 5 or more chronic conditions used an average of $54,199 Medicare coverage in 2008, compared with an average $38,675 for Medicare-only patients with 5 or more chronic conditions, even though both types of patients have what on paper appear to be the same benefits, according to Avalere.
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