Consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) have surpassed health maintenance organizations to become the second most common plan design offered by U.S. employers, according to a survey from Aon Hewitt.
Preferred provider organizations continue to be the most widely offered plans, with 79 percent of employers offering these plans in 2011. But Aon Hewitt’s survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. employers representing 20 million U.S. employees and their dependents found that 58 percent of employers offered a CDHP and 38 percent offered HMO plans.
Among employers that offer CDHPs, health savings accounts (HSA) outpace health reimbursement arrangements (HRA) by two to one (34 percent versus 18 percent). However, Aon Hewitt’s survey shows a higher number of employees enrolling in HRAs, with 43 percent of employees enrolling in HRAs compared with 28 percent in HSAs. Aon analysts said this reflects the fact that HRA plan designs are popular among large employers embarking on full replacement CDHP strategies, as they offer more design flexibility to the employer than HSA designs. HSAs, on the other hand, are typically offered as one of several plan options available for employees to choose between and therefore generate lower enrollments.
“As employers struggle to address unsustainable increases in health care spend, they can no longer rely on traditional methods of tweaking plan designs like increasing co-pays and deductibles or increasing employee payroll contributions for medical coverage,” said Maureen Fay, senior vice president and head of Aon Hewitt’s CDHP working group.
Fay said employers are exploring ways to manage health care costs by changing underlying behavior patterns and that CHHPs provide them with a vehicle “for educating and motivating employees to actively engage in understanding and managing their health.”
Despite an increase in prevalence, Aon Hewitt’s survey found that enrollment in CDHPs lags behind PPO and POS plans. The average enrollment in a PPO plan was 69 percent in 2011 followed by POS plans (49 percent). Forty-three percent enrolled in a high-deductible CDHP with an HRA and 28 percent enrolled in a high-deductible CDHP with an HSA.
To encourage employees to enroll in these plans, employers are using a variety of tactics, including subsidizing premiums at a higher level than other plan options (36 percent), covering preventive medications before the deductible (34 percent) and contributing employer funds to the HSA (30 percent) and HRA (22 percent).
A growing number of employers are also considering using voluntary/elective benefits to supplement these plans, such as critical illness, hospital indemnity and accident insurance policies. Of those currently using this tactic, more than a quarter (26 percent) can attribute a significant-to-moderate increase in CDHP enrollment due to the availability of voluntary or supplemental medical benefits.
While just six percent of employers use voluntary/elective benefits today to complement the CDHP and encourage enrollment, 42 percent report they are considering this approach in the next few years, according to the survey.
Source: Aon Hewitt
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Why do we CONTINUE to attack the wrong side of the problem. HSA’s are turning insurance into the same old “Catastrophe” insurance that it was 30yrs ago (Yes, I have the plan information from 1988 till now from my company, and the one they offered in 1988 looks very similar to the HSA plan they now claim is better than a PPO. Insurance Cos made this mess with their, “We will only pay upto $XX per doctor visit. Many doctors at the time DIDN’T charge those amounts. Now that Insurnace Co’s and the Gov’t have let thei get out of hand, its up to me to “Shop” for my healthcare services? My HR Rep, gave me the example of a colonoscopy. The “Old” Style only costs $2,000. The new “Scanning 3D” procedure cost $6,000. Which do you want to pay for? Well, I have to go cheap. So I said that and then called my attorney and had my HR rep, employer and the Healthcare provider put on notice that because of them, I would have to have the less accurate “Old School” style of test, and it would be their fault is something was missed that would have been picked up in the new technology and been treatable. My question is why doesn’t any one do something about the cost of healtcare. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO KNOW REASON THAT THE COST IS GOING up 8% annually (NOT INCLUDING THE INCREASE IN USE.) There is no reason, Hospitals, Docotr’s, etc get to charge more when the rest of us are taking Paycuts, increase heathcare plan costs, etc. They are a public service, no different than the Gas & Electric Companies now days. The Gov’t and Insurnace Companies team up to SET the prices.. OH well, I ramble and make little sence, I know. Besides, who cares. NO one listens, no one care, no one will do anything anyways.