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03. Employee Healthcare Coverage

In the face of the crisis, 3 in 5 (58%) of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are investing in the health of their workforce by adjusting healthcare benefits or offering guidance to employees. Provisions in the CARES Act allowed insurers and policy-holders to add benefits or reduce cost-sharing mid-year in light of COVID-19.

Harris Flash Polls

Published: Apr 23, 2020

4 in 10 SMBs have changed their healthcare benefits to respond to the pandemic (39%). Of those who have made changes, these include:

  • Extending healthcare coverage to laid off employees (53%)

  • Offering telemedicine (38%)

  • Increasing employee assistance programs (37%)

  • Offering short-term medical plans (32%)

53% of SMBs are offering at least some form of guidance for employees that are losing healthcare coverage as a result of the pandemic. Of those who are offering, this guidance includes helping employees navigate:

  • Affordable Care Act plans (51%)

  • COBRA (37%)

  • Short-term medical (36%)

  • Telemedicine (32%)

To what extent do you agree that the government is doing enough to support businesses like yours during this difficult time?

SMBs are keeping their employees’ interests top of mind.

When it comes to short-term healthcare coverage, SMB leaders are primarily concerned about the cost to the employee (22% say this is the most important consideration), the cost to employer (21%), and availability/eligibility (18%). While SMB leaders are making changes to support their employees, they do not feel that insurance companies or the government are stepping up to the plate.

  • The majority (58%) of SMB leaders feel that insurance carriers are not doing enough to support businesses like theirs during this time.

  • 60% now feel the same way about the government—that it is not doing enough to support businesses like theirs (only 40% think enough is being done). This is a reversal from April 3-6, when 58% of SMBs felt that the government was doing enough to support businesses like theirs.

Methodology

TriNet is partnering with The Harris Poll to conduct an ongoing series of surveys with business leaders in companies of 5 to 249 employees. Business leaders are qualified as either owners/partners or C-level executives. Quotas are set by company size and industry for each wave.

We surveyed 186 SMBs in the latest wave of the research (April 14-16, 2020); actual distribution by company size and industry is as follows:

  • 67 business leaders with 5-19 employees

  • 88 business leaders with 20-99 employees

  • 31 business leaders with 100-249 employees

  • 49 business leaders in Main Street industries (such as automotive, construction, hospitality, manufacturing, real estate, retail, skilled trade, etc.)

  • 137 business leaders in Technology, Financial Services, Professional Services, Life Science, or Non-Profit industries

This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963. It is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. We work with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Our mission is to provide insights and advisory to help leaders make the best decisions possible.

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