Sharply higher premiums, deductibles, and a slimmer roster of doctors are options that employers are considering for employees if health reform is struck down, or partially overturned. <\/p>\n
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- How Corporate America will react if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark 2010 health care reform law is a big fat -- scary -- question mark. <\/p>\n
And that leaves more than 160 million people who get their insurance directly through their employers in the dark. <\/p>\n
The Supreme Court is expected to rule later this month -- maybe as soon as Monday. Industry experts say the justices could uphold the law, overturn it completely or overturn just some provisions. <\/p>\n
In the meantime, the health insurance industry and consumers are bracing for a possible big change. Even though the law's main provisions don't kick in until 2014, several significant ones have already taken affect. <\/p>\n
Earlier this week, a number of big health insurers, including two of the very largest -- UnitedHealthcare (UHC) and Humana (HUM, Fortune 500) -- committed to offering some provisions of health reform, such as coverage of adult dependents up to age 26, regardless of how the court rules. <\/p>\n
But those commitments would only apply to the 15 million or so consumers who buy their insurance directly from insurers or work for businesses that do so. <\/p>\n
A vastly larger pool of people get their insurance through employers that are \"self insured,\" meaning they act just like an insurer. They create their own health care plans and set premiums and deductibles for their employees. <\/p>\n
Premiums for employer-based coverage have already gone up 8% to 9% annually in the past few years. <\/p>\n
And if the Supreme Court throws out the Affordable Care Act, there's a real risk that employees could see an \"exponential jump\" in premiums going forward, said Paul Keckley, executive director for Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Employers' 'plan B' if health reform is axed<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sharply higher premiums, deductibles, and a slimmer roster of doctors are options that employers are considering for employees if health reform is struck down, or partially overturned. Continue reading