House panel to weigh repeal of automatic group health plan enrollment

A U.S. House committee is expected to consider a proposal that would repeal the requirement that companies with 200 or more employees automatically enroll workers in the employer’s health plan if the worker does not respond to the offer of coverage.

Employer groups have long complained that the health care reform law requirement, which will not go into effect until regulations are issued, would cause significant administrative complications.

With automatic enrollment, experts say employers would face the administrative burden of disenrolling employees after finding out that they already had coverage elsewhere, such as their spouse’s employer.

If approved, the repeal measure that the House Education and Workforce Committee is to consider Wednesday would then move to the House Budget Committee for inclusion in a future budget bill.