Mountain Healthcare Coalition created to help address health-insurance costs in our region
It is generally well-accepted that health insurance is important. It helps to cover the cost of medical care, including doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs. Without health insurance, these costs can be financially devastating, especially in case of serious illness or injury.
Health insurance also allows people to access preventative care and early treatment, which can improve health outcomes and prevent more serious and costly medical issues down the road. This can also be translated into cost savings for the system.
Having health insurance provides peace of mind and security, knowing that you and your loved ones will be able to access the care you need when you need it. Health insurance helps to ensure that people can access the medical care they need to maintain their health and well-being, without the fear of overwhelming financial burden. It’s important – especially in our mountain region where we are known for “working hard, and playing hard”, which means we get hurt an awful lot.
Employees value health coverage from employers, and it is the most important benefit an employer can offer their workers. The findings from a survey sponsored by Protecting Americans Coverage Together reaffirm the high degree of importance workers have in employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI). Policymakers should do more to support and strengthen it.
Employer-sponsored health care is important because it provides a way for many people to access health insurance coverage. Many employers offer health insurance as a benefit to their employees, which can help to reduce the cost of coverage for the employee and make it more affordable. Employer-sponsored health care can help to promote healthy behaviors among employees, as they are more likely to take advantage of preventative care services when they have coverage. This can lead to better overall health outcomes and lower healthcare costs in the long run.
The survey shows that 96% said health insurance was either “Extremely important” (83%) or “Very important” (13%) to them and 93% said they were satisfied with their insurance. Most importantly, 87% said their plans are affordable.
Exploring the data in more detail, 89% of Americans prefer to get health coverage through an employer than through other means. 81% said they would rather receive their coverage from an employer than a government-provided health plan
Many workers today focus on taking roles with employer-sponsored health insurance; it’s a competitive advantage for employers who can offer this benefit. According to polls, 80% of workers were more inclined to take a job with benefits than a job without benefits that included 30% more salary. The employer-sponsored insured system (ESI) is the backbone of the American healthcare system, covering over 150 million Americans, almost half of the U.S. population.
Strengthening employer-sponsored insurance is a reliable solution. ESI provides robust, affordable coverage for 180 million families and retirees. The flexibility of ESI allows companies to tailor insurance benefits and coverage to the needs of their specific workforce. This coverage includes broad, robust networks which provide access to major hospitals, academic medical centers, and a variety of providers.
Significant community involvement and collaboration between Vail Health, employers, brokers, and the Vail Valley Partnership has ignited a renewed vision and common spirit to help solve the region’s high cost of health insurance and to help our employers have more access to employer-sponsored health care. It’s why we’ve created the Mountain Healthcare Coalition (MHC), which will serve as the catalyst to create and deliver a solution.
Chris Romer is president & CEO of Vail Valley Partnership, the regional chamber of commerce. Learn more at VailValleyPartnership.com