Of less concern to these respondents:

Centers of excellent: By 2017, 56 percent plan to contract directly with a center of excellence.

Narrow networks: By 2017, 47 percent expect to offer narrow, high performance provider networks to their workers.

High deductible plans: By 2017, 54 percent of employers will offer high deductible plans. “Employers still believe HMOs and PPOs will remain viable because they want to support employees that are in lower salary tiers,” MBGH commented.

Private exchanges: 21 percent said they will consider off-loading their employees to private exchanges for health insurance. Going forward, MBGH noted, an increasing number said they will consider this option.

Outcomes-based incentives: 50 percent of self-insured employers identified outcomes-based incentives as a priority.

Cost-sharing with employees: 80 percent said they had not yet determined if they will increase benefits cost sharing by 2017, and, MBGH said, “and 21 percent have indicated they plan to remain at 70/30, with only 6 percent moving to a higher cost share of 50/50.”

Telemedicine: 46 percent cited this as a current priority for increasing access and reducing unnecessary absences in order to get care.

“To ensure they are getting the most value for their health care dollars, employers are implementing a number of key strategies to manage their company’s health benefits and taking steps to encourage their employees to better manage their health,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “The business community continues to believe health care benefits are an investment in their human capital, and they’re seeking effective and innovative approaches to deal with their largest expense outside of payroll.”