Aside from padding the annual Christmas, year-end, profit-sharing, etc. bonus, there is another reason why now may be a great time to get on your employer’s good side. According to a national survey of company chief financial officers and other senior executives by Grant Thornton, LLP, 15 percent of those companies that currently offer group health insurance benefits to their employees plan to reduce those benefits within the next 12 months.

As costs for group health insurance plans continue to increase annually, businesses small and large will continue to look for ways to mitigate the increases. Unfortunately for many, that means the reduction of these benefits or even the elimination of health insurance altogether. Luckily, affordable individual/family health insurance plans may be an option for many.