WASHINGTON — The delay of the federal ObamaCare online marketplace for small businesses won’t postpone the “sticker shock” for workers, experts say.
David Capo, vice president of Benefit Advisory Service, a health-insurance broker firm in Queens, said the new mandated coverage costs more — and employees ultimately will pay for it.
“There’s this perception out there that ObamaCare is either going to be free or it’s going to be better plans or it’s going to save them money,” he said.
“That’s really not the case for most people who work for our clients.
“There will be a price shock associated with those exchanges,” said Capo, noting he has already seen a 25 percent increase in the cost of small-business policies.
Capo’s clients include small-business owners who used to provide employee health plans simply because they thought it was the “right thing to do.”
ObamaCare doesn’t require small businesses with less than 50 employees to provide health plans. But what it does require includes the 10 “essential benefits” that make coverage more expensive.
“A lot of plans have to be changed. Essential benefits have to meet the mandates,” said Capo.