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The Future of Employer-Sponsored Health Care: Defined Contributions vs. Defined Benefits

Featuring Gary Ahlquist, Booz-Allen & Hamilton; Gerry Smedinghoff, UniversalCIO; William Custer, Georgia State University.

The Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001

Watch the Event in Real Video
Read the event transcript (PDF, 60 pp, 109 kb)

Most Americans under the age of 65 obtain health insurance through employers, in large part because of tax advantages that exempt employer-sponsored health benefits from taxable income. Critics of the current employer-based system contend that it shields consumers from the true costs of health insurance and unnecessarily restricts their choices. Defenders of employers' role in managing and financing defined benefits plans for their workers argue that employer-sponsored plans help ensure widespread pooling of risk and reduce adverse selection. Faced with rising health costs and mounting liability risks, many employers are considering shifting to defined contribution plans that allow employees to choose their own health insurance arrangements. A panel of health benefits analysts will examine the future role of employers in health insurance decision-making, with particular emphasis on the growing role of e-commerce intermediaries in shaping consumer-driven health care.