Business takes wait-and-see stand on health care mandates - Dallas Business Journal:

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Without specifics, business leaders aren'tg sure of the impact of any of theproposec plans. But they're keenly aware that changes couldbe coming. Major employerss who already offer employees a variety of health coveragesw are concentrating on their own game Small businesses, or thosse in industries where health care plans aren't traditionally offered, are worrierd about the implications on the bottom line if they are requiresd to provide health care "The devil is in the said Sandy Lutz, Dallas-based directorr of the .
Most larg e employers already provide health If some of the smallesyt companies are exempt from compliance inproposes plans, the key is how will be defined, she said. The overall aim of proposed health care plans is to lowee the number of uninsured people in theUnitedx States, believed to be aboutg 47 million. Whether a mandate requirese a company to provide insurancwe or requires a worker to obtain the pressure will be on employers to offer something thatis affordable, Lutz said.
The adde administrative burdens of determining whichcompaniees aren't offering insurance, or which employeeas aren't taking it, is also an unknowh at this point, as is how penaltiea for noncompliance will be handled. "It's a hot-buttonj issue for employers," Lutz said. That's because discussiojn has increased as the leading Democratix presidential candidates have campaigned on health care planws thatinclude mandates. Sen. Hillary Clinton's plan would requirse individuals to purchase a plan if not covered through agroup Sen. Barack Obama's plan woulr require health insurance plansefor children.
Both would requird most businesses to cover aiding that effort through tax creditsand subsidies. Republicajn candidate Sen. John McCain plans to offerf tax breaks to individuals who woulds then purchase insurance ontheir own. A poll by the Commonwealty Fund, a health reform advocacgy foundation in NewYork City, found that 80% of Americans believe employers should provide health care coverage. "Candidates are promising this and andwe don't really know the details," said Ted vice chairman and partner at independent insurance firm LLP in But for many companies, the issue is increasing health care costs.
Many businesseds don't see how having the government more involved in the proceswill help, he as has been the case in Massachusettw and Hawaii, where health mandates are in The city of San Franciscoo also has a mandate in place. Meanwhile, companiesx are faced with trimming benefits in order to cut healt hplan costs, or are shifting more of the cost to employeeds when premium increases bring "sticker Troy said. Many employers also roll out wellnesw programs, although it generally takes 3-5 yearz to know if that will positivelyimpacg claims. McQueary Henry Bowles Troy has tackled theissue itself.
The firm employs 170, and 141 are on the company's healthh plan, with 75 of those coverinv dependants. It offers three plans with low-, mid- and high-deductible options, and a healthh savings account option, paying 75% of the employee premium and 25% of the dependengt cost. Like their clients, leaders at the compant have tried several options tocontrol costs. Companied that belong to the on a 130-company coalition committed to market-based health care reform, understandx that large employers will be key players in any discussio n of health insurance going said Executive Director Marianne Fazen.
"They'rw not spending a lot of time trying to figurr out which direction the wind will she said, since their company already offerss insurance. According to research by the , the averags premium for family coverage in 2007 was Employees now pay an averagesof $3,281 to cover their shard of that family policy.