2021 Massachusetts Employer Survey
The majority of Massachusetts residents obtain health insurance through their own or a family member’s employer. Employer-sponsored insurance shapes the health insurance markets in the state and impacts the demand for the state’s public insurance programs, including MassHealth.
The Massachusetts Employer Survey (MES), an ongoing health insurance survey of employers, tracks and monitors employer health insurance offerings, employee take-up rates, cost-sharing, plan characteristics, and employer decision making. It was conducted on a biennial basis from 2001 through 2009; then in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021. Data collection for the biennial MES began in 2020; however, due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to Massachusetts businesses, data collection was paused in March 2020. This most recent survey was fielded from May – January 2022.
Additionally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 MES included new questions to quantify the impacts of the pandemic on employers and employees across the Commonwealth. These summary results provide key insights on how the pandemic affected workplace health benefits during a period of challenge and recovery for many businesses.