No drop in insurance enrollment at work, according to new survey

With the passage of the ACA, many wondered about the effect on enrollment in employer-sponsored plans.  A new study found that average enrollment in company plans was essentially unchanged between 2014 and 2015 at 74 percent of all workers.

The survey of nearly 600 employers by benefits consultant Mercer found that in 2015 the average percentage of employees who were eligible for coverage increased 1 point to 88 percent, but it was offset by a drop in the enrollment of eligible workers of 1 point on average, to 83 percent (Source: “Health Law Brings No Drop in Insurance Enrollment At Work, Study Finds,” Kaiser Health News, March 20, 2015).

Experts say that part of the explanation for the stable results stems from the fact that most employers were already in compliance with ACA requirements. And among those employers that did extend coverage to more employees, many found that few of the newly eligible chose to enroll.