If proposed health care legislation is enacted, it would set new standards in the employer-based insurance system. Approximately 18.4 million Californians and 161 million Americans under the age of 65 rely upon employer-based insurance for their health care coverage.
Both House and Senate versions of reform legislation entail specific requirements for employer-based insurance. While the vast majority of employees work for firms that currently comply with most new standards, reform legislation, if passed, would increase protection for many insured workers and their families in California. Firms that buy insurance in the small group market will be most affected by these changes.
A study based on a 2009 survey of 827 private firms with establishments in California finds that: