A
growing percentage of employees would rather maintain or improve their health
benefits than get a pay increase, according to a study of 2,299 U.S. adults by
Harris Interactive.
If
they had to choose, 61 percent of employees say they'd rather keep their health
care benefits as is than get an increase in pay. This is up from 56 percent in
2003.
Not
surprisingly given the cost-shifting that has gone on, 43 percent of adults who
receive health benefits from their employers say that those benefits have gotten
worse the past two to three years. Far fewer employers say their compensation
or retirement
benefits have declined.
Trying
to save money
Policymakers
and benefits directors alike have pondered how employees are reacting to higher
out-of-pocket health costs. This study sheds some light on that
question.
Employees
were asked, "Thinking about your current health benefits, if the amount you pay
out of pocket for health care (like doctor visits, tests or prescription drugs)
were to increase substantially, which one of the following would you be most
likely to do?"
Employees'
responses were:
|
Save
money elsewhere |
40
percent
(including
19 percent who would put more money in a health savings or similar account, 11
percent who would put it in a normal bank account but set it aside for health
care, and 10 percent who would spend less on other
things) |
|
Try
to find a less expensive health plan |
26
percent |
|
Try
to use fewer health care products and services |
20
percent |
|
Drop
health insurance altogether |
4
percent |
|
Not
sure |
11
percent |
Harris
Interactive conducted the study for The Wall Street Journal Online. More
information on health
care is available.
--Todd
Raphael
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