New analysis from Hewitt Associates finds a record percentage of workers took an active role in selecting their health care benefits during open enrollment for the 2010 plan year.
Results show despite the high level of engagement, employees opted for plans similar to what they selected in the past.
Hewitt's analysis of 6 million U.S. workers, for whom Hewitt managed benefits enrollment in the fall of 2009, revealed the highest number of active enrollees since the consulting firm began tracking the data in 2003.
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Nearly half (45 percent) of employees actively chose their benefits for 2010 instead of passively defaulting into the same coverage or no coverage at all. This is up significantly from the 2009 open enrollment period, where just 39 percent of employees actively enrolled.
However, data shows very few workers enrolled in different health insurance plans. Enrollment in exclusive provider organizations (EPO), preferred provider organizations (PPO) and high-deductible health plans (HDHP) remained consistent with previous years. Enrollment in health maintenance organizations (HMO) dipped slightly from 17 percent in 2009 to 14 percent. Point of service (POS) plans and indemnity plans both saw slight up-ticks in enrollment, from 5 percent and 11 percent in 2009 to 8 percent for 2010 and 13 percent, respectively.
Hewitt's analysis also shows that enrollment in health savings accounts (HSAs) has risen steadily over the past five years, from 5 percent in 2005 to 14 percent in the current plan year. Enrollment in flexible spending accounts (FSA) remained consistent, with one in five (20 percent) of employees enrolling in an FSA for 2010, up slightly from 18 percent in 2009.
"Employee inertia continues to play a large role in enrollment decisions–it's encouraging to see that people are more engaged in assessing their benefits, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily making different choices," said Sara Taylor, health and welfare strategy leader at Hewitt Associates. "If employers want workers to make different elections, they might need to adopt a more aggressive approach–whether it's changing or reducing plan options or offering plans with widely differing price points."
| Enrollment by Plan Type | ||||||
| Open enrollment year | Epo | HMO | POS | PPO | Indemnity | HDHP |
| 2008 | 1% | 17% | 11% | 31% | 15% | 20% |
| 2009 | 1% | 17% | 5% | 34% | 11% | 18% |
| 2010 | 1% | 14% | 8% | 35% | 13% | 18% |
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