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2012 Workforce Insights: Health Care Reform

Health care reform will have a major and potentially long-lasting effect on the way employees seek information about their health care coverage. According to the 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report:

  • Employees will rely on their employers for information. Only 28% of employees disagree that they will rely more heavily on their employer to educate them about health care as a result of reform. The percentages vary by company size:
    • 36% small companies
    • 26% medium companies
    • 24% large companies
  • 23% of all employers surveyed say they understand health care reform legislation extremely/very well. The percentages vary by company size:
    • 17% small companies
    • 27% medium companies
    • 38% large companies
  • Only 29% of workers surveyed say that educating employees about health care reform is currently a very or extremely important issue within their organizations, including:
    • 23% small companies
    • 30% medium companies
    • 32% large companies
  • 60% of workers have done nothing to prepare themselves and their families for possible changes to the health care system.
  • 51% of employees say health care reform legislation is too complicated for them to understand.

Both employees and employers are concerned about the effect of health care reform on their current benefits packages.

  • Understanding the changing health care landscape is the top benefits challenge for companies behind offering robust benefits while staying within cost constraints.
  • When asked about their understanding of health care reform, 30% of all employers surveyed responded by saying “not very well” or “not at all well.” Nearly half (47%) say they understand it “somewhat well,” and only 23% say they understand it extremely or very well.
  • 33% of all employers surveyed believe health care reform will result in significantly diminished benefits packages for their companies’ employees.
  • Only 25% of employees say they agree that the quality of their health care will increase with health care reform.

The 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report was conducted January 24–February 23, 2012, by Research Now on behalf of Aflac.

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