The economy’s slow growth and rising health care costs have employers thinking twice about offering health care coverage to early retirees. Over the past decade, fewer and fewer private-sector businesses have chosen to continue offering health coverage to early and Medicare-eligible retirees. Key findings from the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s survey on the state of retiree health benefits include:
- Of the few companies that still offer retiree health benefits, 43 percent of surveyed employers say that they are very likely to increase retirees’ portion of premiums in 2013. 21 percent say they are somewhat likely to increase it.
- In addition, 21 percent of surveyed employers said that they are very likely to increase cost sharing in 2013, and 32 percent say they are somewhat likely to increase it. Read more
