Workers' perspectives on mandated employer health insurance

There is renewed discussion of using employer mandates as a strategy for decreasing the number of uninsured Americans. California recently passed the Health Insurance Act of 2003, the first state-based "play-or-pay" legislation in nearly a decade. To better understand workers' perceptions, the California HealthCare Foundation commissioned NORC at the University of Chicago to conduct a survey to assess workers' views on mandated employer coverage. We found that the vast majority of workers support such a mandate--regardless of whether they are insured--although there is some variation regarding how extensive the mandate should be.