Poll: Employers watching insurance costs closely

Judy Solomon, vice president of Kinetic Systems Inc., poses near the employees' punch clock inside the plant in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Solomon says she has to provide health insurance to attract and keep engineers when competing against bigger companies. Her business has 32 full-time workers and makes equipment that helps control vibrations for sensitive scientific instruments. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Judy Solomon, vice president of Kinetic Systems Inc., poses near the employees' punch clock inside the plant in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014. Solomon says she has to provide health insurance to attract and keep engineers when competing against bigger companies. Her business has 32 full-time workers and makes equipment that helps control vibrations for sensitive scientific instruments. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

By Associated Press November 21, 2014 5 min read

Despite years of rising medical costs and pressure from the health care overhaul, employers consider employee health insurance a priority. But new surveys suggest coverage may grow skimpier in the coming years.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that companies that offer health insurance see it as a key tool to attract workers and keep them on the job. But they’re also sweating the expense, with 86 percent citing the cost of coverage as a main factor in picking a plan.

Five key findings from the poll:

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WHEN OFFERING BENEFITS, COST IS TOP OF MIND