Dive Brief:
- Under Obamacare, more colleges and universities are increasing the healthcare costs of their employees, according to a survey.
- The survey by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources of 370 higher ed institutions found that 41 of the respondents increased their employee’s share of health insurance premiums after the Affordable Care Act went into effect.
- The survey also showed 26% of the surveyed institutions increasing in-network deductibles, 20% increased the employee share of prescription drug costs, and 24% increased the employee share of dependent coverage.
Dive Insight:
Among other findings of the survey, 42% of the respondents offer healthcare benefits to part-time staff and 36% offer the benefits to part-time faculty. The average premium for four types of healthcare plans combined — preferred provider organizations, health maintenance organizations, point of service and high deductible health plans — was $6,501 per year for employees and $17,484 for employees and their families. That’s an increase of 5.5% and 5.25%, respectively, to 2014 from 2013.