Chalk up another victim of the recession.
It turns out that the employment based health insurance decline is now a reality, reports Employer Brief. The information comes from a study done by the Employment Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).
Between 1995 and 2007, the percentage of workers covered either in their own name or as a dependent was around 60 percent, with some occasional fluctuations. However, by April 2010, only 56 percent of the workers had employment based health insurance.
The numbers about employment health plans should be considered reliable because they come from data pulled by the Census Bureau.
The study did not set forth any reasons for why there are fewer instances of employees receving employment based health insurance. As most people know, an employer does not actually have to offer health insurance.
However, once an employer decides to offer health-related benefits, its plan must be run in accordance with certain standards designed to protect the interests of employees and other plan beneficiaries (such as family members) under a federal law known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Under ERISA, employers are required to take certain steps in connection with employee health benefit plans, including notifying employees (called "plan participants") of plan eligibility standards, claim procedures, participant rights, and related changes to the plan; and managing and investing plan funds according to the best interests of plan participants.
If you are an employee with questions about your rights under an employment health plan, or if you believe that your employer may be violating regulations in connection with a health plan, you may want to contact an experienced employee rights or ERISA attorney to discuss the situation and your legal options.
Related Resources:
- Find a Houston Employment Law attorney (FindLaw)
- Health Insurance Overview (FindLaw)
- COBRA Benefits and Health Insurance (FindLaw)
- Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)
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