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Costs Hold Steady

[By Staff Reporters]

According to Tracey Walker, Senior Editor of Healthcare Executive News on March 13, 2009, US employers expect healthcare cost increases to hold steady at 6%. Additionally, more plan to adopt consumer-directed health plans [CDHPs] in 2010, in an effort to control health cost increases.

Watson Wyatt – National Business Group Survey on Health

And, a survey by Watson Wyatt and the National Business Group on Health, found that:

• Approximately half of companies now offer workers a CDHP, up from 47% in 2008, and another 8% are expected to adopt a CDHP by 2010.
• CDHPs are helping employers control costs—companies with at least half of their workers enrolled in a CDHP have a two-year cost trend (4.6%) that is 25% lower than non-CDHP sponsors (6.1%).
• Two-thirds of employers (67%) cite the poor health habits of their employees as a considerable challenge to managing their health costs.
• While companies will be taking a close look at benefit offerings because of the recession, most do not plan major changes.
• Nearly 30% of employers have revamped their healthcare strategy with another 30% planning to do so in 2009.

Assessment

The growth in CD-HPs has made it more important than ever for health plans to provide their members actionable information and pricing transparency to navigate the healthcare system. According to Dr. David Edward Marcinko;

“Members like our firm – and many others – are incented to be savvy consumers, but that’s a difficult task if not provided with the pricing and related information we need to make wise choices. And, to make matters even worse for lay patients; providers and hospitals are not often keen to supply information about same.”

But, there is some hope according to Hope Rachel Hetico; RN, MHA, CMP™ of www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

“The overall transparency milieu today has definitely improved this last decade as we have participated in CDHPs for all our employees.” 

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• Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
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• Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care

Filed under: Health Insurance, iMBA, Inc., Monthly Reports, Surveys and Voting | Tagged: CDHCPs, CDHPs, consumer directed health plans, consumer directed healthcare plans, National Business Group, Watson Wyatt | 4 Comments »