89% of workers say they choose same insurance options yearly

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COLUMBUS, Ga., April 28 (UPI) -- Fifty-four percent of U.S. workers prefer not to have more control over health insurance options because making such decisions is daunting, a survey says.

The third annual Aflac WorkForces Report -- an online survey of nearly 1,900 benefits decision-makers and more than 5,200 U.S. workers -- was conducted in January by Research Now and released by Aflac, a provider of supplemental and guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States.

The survey found 62 percent of workers said medical costs they would be responsible for would increase, but only 23 percent were saving money for potential increases.

Seventy-five percent of workers said they think their employer would educate them about changes to their healthcare coverage as a result of the Affordable Care Act, but only 13 percent of employers said educating employees about healthcare reform was important to their organization.

Fifty-three percent said they feared they might not adequately manage their coverage, leaving their families less protected. Eighty-nine percent admitted they chose the same benefits year over year -- and many don't understand the options provided.

Even though educating employees is a low priority, helping workers learn how to manage their health care choices effectively presents an opportunity for employers to demonstrate they care about their employees, and to curb potential absenteeism, low morale and low productivity, Aflac said.

No margin of error was provided.