Employers still prioritize health coverage, polls find

Employers squeezed by years of rising medical costs and pressure from the health care overhaul are still making employee health insurance a priority, but that coverage might grow skimpier in the coming years.

A poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that companies that offer health insurance see it as a key tool to attract workers and keep them on the job. But they’re also sweating the expense, with 86 percent citing the cost of coverage as a key factor in picking a plan.

A separate survey from the benefits consultant Mercer found that only 4 percent of all large employers say they will likely drop their employee health plans within the next five years, a figure that has trended down over the past few years. The survey results run contrary to speculation among benefits insiders that more companies would consider dropping insurance coverage for their employees.