Academics supported Obamacare even more enthusiastically than Congress did. Unlike the national legislature, though, they can’t exempt themselves from it. Nevertheless, they are doing their level best to avoid it.
“Many colleges expect their expenses to rise after new federal requirements for employers under President Obama’s signature health-care law take effect, and some institutions are preparing for the new policy by changing their benefit plans to shift more costs to employees, according to survey results [1] being released on Monday,” Sara Hebel [2] reports in the Chronicle of Higher Education. “Among the 430 colleges and 23 higher-education systems that completed the online survey, conducted by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, 27 percent said they had increased the share of premium costs that employees must pay in 2013, in preparation for the law, and 17 percent said they had increased the share of costs that employees must pay for coverage of their dependents.”
“Twenty-three percent of institutions said they had adopted or enhanced a wellness program for employees.” Surveys also show that those employees tended to support Obama overwhelmingly [3], so they’re getting something out of it.
Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia [4].
If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org [5].