Most employers expect to keep health care coverage

For what it's worth, eight out of 10 say they'll continue providing benefits over the next three years, according to a survey by Deloitte. Just 10 percent expect to drop their coverage and another 10 percent aren't sure. But don't be surprised if employers start looking for cheaper alternatives, especially if the Affordable Care Act results in higher premiums. Of course, much of the ACA doesn't take effect until 2014 and until then all these forecasts remain mostly guesswork. From the LAT:

Some are looking into defined-contribution plans where they give workers a fixed amount of money, akin to a 401(k) plan, and allow them to buy their own insurance on the open market or in a private exchange. Other companies are interested in direct contracting with hospitals and large physician groups in hopes of striking a better deal.

Meanwhile, the recent Supreme Court decision on Medicaid, part of the overall health care ruling, will probably lead to six million fewer people being covered under the federal program, according to the Congressional Budget Office. But half of them will probably be able to receive private insurance through health exchanges that are part of the overhaul. From the NYT:

The latest estimate from the Congressional Budget Office establishes a new political and fiscal reality against which future health care proposals will be measured. It also provides grist for election-year debates in campaigns for the White House and Congress. In addition, the budget office said that repealing the new health care law, as House Republicans have repeatedly tried to do, would add $109 billion to federal budget deficits over the next 10 years. Specifically, it said, repeal of the law would reduce spending by $890 billion and reduce revenues by $1 trillion in the years 2013 to 2022.