The HIX marketplace may offer Americans more choice when it comes to health insurance, particularly as public exchange options expand, but it continues to complicate life for HR professionals. A recent survey of chief human resource officers casts the Affordable Care Act as a whipping post for anything from higher employee health care and labor costs, as well as lower quality of care, to a number of related problems.
The ACA was blamed for spiking health care costs an average of 7.73% by 78% of the respondents, who included Fortune 500 executives and members of a large professional society. In addition, 37% of the CHROs tied the landmark legislation to higher labor costs averaging 5.6%. While 62% reported no changes in their labor costs, those whose firms experienced increases far outnumbered those with decreases by a 75:1 ratio. Similar results were reported in terms of higher health insurance costs relative to lower costs (a thirtyfold difference).
