If You Are Insured Through Employer
53% get health benefits from their job
Current Situation: Employee contributions to job-sponsored health coverage have more than doubled in the past decade. Plans, which are tax-free, are often more generous than those available on the open market. But workers can't take their coverage with them if they switch jobs or are laid off.
How Reform Could Affect You
The upside: If all employers are required to offer insurance, employer-sponsored plans would never be eliminated. More regulation could reduce the chances that insurers would deny fair claims. A public plan could provide competition in the marketplace and drive down private insurers' premiums.
The downside: Lawmakers are considering taxes on some of the most expensive employee health plans — taxing either employees directly or insurance companies. But insurers are likely to just pass this cost along to consumers, driving up rates. Other taxes could be levied to help cover the poor and uninsured.