Lockton Benefit Group President Michael Brewer told lawmakers in Washington, D.C., more than 80 percent of employers are so committed to their employees that they plan to continue to offer group insurance, despite the uncertainty surrounding health care reform.

Still, health care reform's costs and administrative hurdles could cause these employers to reduce full-time jobs or limit expansion abilities.

On July 28, at a hearing for a subcommittee of the Oversight and Governance Reform Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Brewer said, "One of our employers simply stated, 'We operate our business on paper-thin margins, and any additional government mandated costs will force us to either close the business or reduce the hours of our full-time employees.' Now we know this is not the intent of health reform, but this is the result of health reform, and this is the reality of health reform for many employers: job loss and reduction in employment opportunities."