I don't think competition has much to do with it. We have an existing policy, which is noncompliant but the premium is getting jacked up because of, if you believe the reps, having to pay the penalties for being non-compliant. Alternatively, we can shift to an ACA-compliant plan with the same carrier that allows us to access the same providers and covers the same procedures plus those features mandated by the ACA that the existing plan doesn't cover (in our case it is just going from vision exams every two years to every year and adding children's dental, which we don't need because we already provide free children's dental and the ACA's version of children's dental coverage is dogshit), but it shifts a much higher cost burden onto the employees. We priced out the similar plans with BCBS and two other carriers, and the one we are looking at still costs the least (and is the one everyone is used to using in terms of available doctors). So what it comes down to is paying $45k more per year so that everyone gets an additional eye exam once every two years. Jesus H, I'll pay for them to go to the damn eye doctor.