CBO report: Employer-based health insurance could decline under health law

A new Congressional Budget Office report about employer-based health insurance coverage is generating controversy, and the CBO's director is weighing in.

Modern Healthcare: Employer-Based Coverage Seen Falling Under ACA
Citing a "tremendous amount of uncertainty," a report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation found that because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, about 3 million to 5 million fewer people will obtain health insurance coverage through their employer between 2019 and 2022, based on the agencies' latest baseline projections (Zigmond, 3/15).

Politico: CBO: Health Reform Could Cause People To Lose Workplace Coverage
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office hands critics of the health reform law a great new talking point: Under a worst-case scenario, the law could lead to 20 million people losing their employer-sponsored insurance in 2019. The agency doesn't think that's likely, however (Feder, 3/15).

The Fiscal Times: CBO: Big Drop in Health Coverage Unlikely
One report highlighted a "worst case scenario" to claim up to 20 million people could lose coverage. Not so, says the agency. "CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) continue to expect the Affordable Care Act (ACA)-;the health care legislation enacted in March 2010-;will lead to a small reduction in the number of people receiving employment-based health insurance," Director Doug Elmendorf wrote on his blog (Goozner, 3/16). 

CQ HealthBeat: CBO Sees No 'Sharp Decline' In Employer Insurance Under Health Care Law
An analysis the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation issued Thursday says that most employers will continue to have an economic reason to offer health insurance to their workers after the health care law is implemented. It says that a "sharp decline" in employment-based insurance as a result of the law is "unlikely," and even if it occurred it "would not dramatically increase the cost" to the federal budget (Norman, 3/15).