One in 10 employers will drop health coverage in the next few years, study finds

The report by the consulting company Deloitte, which is to be released Tuesday, predicts the decline in work-based plans as much of the health law kicks in. Meanwhile, two Massachusetts insurers see opportunities to expand their out-of-state business. 

The Wall Street Journal: Deloitte: One In 10 U.S. Employers To Drop Health Coverage 
Around one in 10 employers in the U.S. plans to drop health coverage for workers in the next few years as the bulk of the federal health-care law begins, and more indicated they may do so over time, according to a study to be released Tuesday by consulting company Deloitte (Radnofsky, 7/24).

Boston Globe: Two Insurers See New Markets Beyond Mass.
While the political squabble over the federal health care law continues, two Massachusetts health insurers see an opportunity to expand their out-of-state businesses and pick up thousands of new customers who must have coverage or face penalties. Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, which already operate in some nearby states, are strategizing on how they can boost their market share outside Massachusetts as about 30 million Americans who do not have insurance buy subsidized private coverage or become eligible for Medicaid under the law upheld by the Supreme Court last month (Weisman, 7/24).

In related news -

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Health Insurer WellPoint Reports On 2nd Quarter Performance Thursday
WellPoint Inc., the nation's second-largest health insurer, will report second-quarter results on Wednesday, nearly a week after competitor UnitedHealth Group Inc. saw its stock price slip despite posting a 5 percent increase in quarterly profit (7/23).