Study: Healthcare Coverage Through Employers Continues To Decline.

Bloomberg News (4/12, Nussbaum) reports that "the share of Americans who get health benefits through work dropped to 60 percent in 2011, continuing a decade-long slide that highlights the challenges facing President Barack Obama's insurance overhaul." According to a study sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, "U.S. employers provided coverage for 159 million people in 2011, 12 million fewer than in 2000." The report, which was "based on data from the U.S. Census and other surveys," blamed the decline "on the total number of jobs available as well as insurance premiums that have more than doubled in some cases."

On its "Healthwatch" blog, The Hill (4/12, Viebeck) reports that "states with the sharpest declines have struggled with industry upheaval." For example, "Michigan's rate of employer-based insurance fell about 15 percent in the 2000s, placing it at the top of the list." The Hill notes that "the study was prepared by researchers at the University of Minnesota's State Health Access Data Assistance Center."

 

USA Today (4/12, Kennedy) reports that Andrew Hyman, director of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's healthcare coverage team, stated: "It would be a real stretch to say this was caused by anticipation of the Affordable Care Act." Hyman added that "the steady decline in coverage has come in spite of changes in the economy and employment rates throughout the decade." He noted that the "silver lining" is that with the ACA, "even those who don't receive coverage through their employer will be able to get a plan through the health exchange system."

 

The Chicago Tribune (4/12, Bomkamp) reports, "In Illinois, 62 percent of employees got coverage through work in 2011, down from 74 percent in 2000. The decline was most dramatic among workers 18 and younger, where only 56 percent were covered in 2011, down from 72 percent in 2000." The Tribunes notes, "For workers age 26 to retirement, coverage declined to 65 percent in 2011 from 78 percent in 2000." The AP (4/12) also reports on the numbers for Illinois.

 

The Los Angeles Times (4/12, Terhune) reports that the study "shows that 53% of Californians get their health insurance through work, down from 62% in 2000. About 17.6 million state residents received employer health benefits in 2011, nearly 1.3 million fewer than a decade earlier." The Times adds, "The number of private-sector companies in California offering health benefits also fell over the last decade, to 52% in 2011 from 57% in 2000."

 

For New Jersey, the Bergen (NJ) Record (4/12, Layton) reveals the study found that "residents who receive health insurance from their employers fell 11.5 percent over the last decade while the cost of premiums for family coverage more than doubled." The report found "that translates into nearly 660,000 fewer state residents receiving their coverage through their job or a family member's job." The Record adds, "The overall percentage of those insured through their jobs in New Jersey was 66.3 percent in 2011, down from 77.8 percent in 2000."

 

The Oregonian (4/12, Budnick) reports that the study determined that "employer-sponsored health insurance coverage in Oregon has dropped significantly since 2000, but not as much as the national average." The report found that "the percentage of nonelderly people with employer coverage dropped 10.2 percentage points nationally, and 8.7 percent in Oregon."

 

The Winona (MN) Daily News (4/12) reports that the study indicated that "about 400,000 fewer Wisconsin residents obtained health insurance through an employer than a decade ago." The study revealed that "the percentage of the state's population under 65 with health benefits fell to an average of about 69 percent for 2010 and 2011 compared with an average of 79 percent for 1999 and 2000."

 

The AP (4/12) notes that the report "shows fewer Virginians are getting health insurance through their employer." The report revealed that "66 percent of Virginia residents got their insurance through a job in 2011. That's down from 75 percent in 2000."

 

Alabama Live (4/12, Oliver) also mentions the report, noting that "the number of Alabama residents who obtain health insurance through their employer has declined 14 percent since 2000."

 

The AP (4/12) reports from Raleigh, NC, that the "study points to pressure on North Carolina workers by illustrating big declines in company-provided health insurance." The AP adds that the study "shows North Carolina had one of the biggest double-digit drops in workers covered by employer-sponsored insurance. The study finds that North Carolina workers covered by company health plans fell by more than 13 percent over the first decade of this century, worse than all states except South Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio."

 

Modern Healthcare (4/12, Block, Subscription Publication) also reports on the story.