More employers are turning to consumer-driven health plans to provide coverage.
The trend is so strong, according to an Aon Hewitt study, that CDHPs could soon pass preferred provider organizations as the No. 1 employer health plan choice.
Aon Hewitt queried nearly 800 large and mid-size U.S. employers for the research and they found that 56 percent of employers currntly offer CDHPs as a plan choice, with 30 percent more considering one in the next three to five years.
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Today, the study found, only 10 percent of employers offer CDHPs as the only plan option. But 44 percent of respondents said they were thinking about doing just that in the next three to five years.
In part because research shows CDHPs help contain costs. Aon said employers, when asked about cost trending for 2012, CDHPs had the lowest increase (4 percent). PPO and exclusive provider networks users reported a 6 percent increase, while HMO users endured a 7 percent increase.
What tactics did employers use to encourage CDHP enrollment? Those surveyed listed the following:
- subsidizing premiums at a higher level than for other plan options (44 percent)
- making the high-deductible plan the default (22 percent)
- covering preventive medicines before the deductible applies (44 percent).
But how do employees feel about CDHP coverage once they've experienced it? Aon had some answers for that one too. Of those enrolled, 78 percent said they were satisfied with it and 89 percent said they'd re-up next time around. For employees who had been in a CDHP for more than two years, the reenroll rate was 97 percent.
Recent research shows more than three-quarters of consumers enrolled in a CDHP were satisfied with their plan choice (78 percent) and 89 percent said they planned to re-enroll. Of those employees who had been in a CDHP for more than two years, 97 percent planned to re-enroll.
When it comes to healthy choices and practices, CDHP users are becoming true believers. The study showed that 60 percent of CDHP employees reported making positive health behavior changes, 28 percent said they received routine preventative care more often, 23 percent sought lower-cost health care options and 19 percent researched health costs more frequently.
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
