EANE Announces Findings from 2015 Insurance & Benefits Survey

AGAWAM — The Employers Assoc. of the NorthEast (EANE) announced its findings from the 2015 Insurance & Benefits Survey, conducted earlier this year, with 121 companies participating from Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

The survey posed more than 130 questions. It covered health insurance, including cost, coverage, eligibility, and employee cost sharing. It also addressed retirement plans, disability benefits, and voluntary benefits.

The greatest change in the survey findings continues to be in health insurance. Employers will offer, or have introduced, methods to control costs, while attempting to comply with the Affordable Care Act. These methods include shifting deductible costs and co-share to employees by altering plan design.

More specifically, the survey indicates the employers’ contribution towards an employee’s coverage option has decreased from 2013 levels. While monthly premiums illustrate minimal changes, the annual deductible per person and per family has increased. As a result, employers have reassessed their benefit packages, and long-term-care benefits are affected.

“Everyone is looking at the bottom line, and controlling healthcare costs is often on the top of that list,” said Mark Adams, director of HR Solutions for EANE. “That said, employers want to remain attractive to new employees and preserve their benefit packages.”