• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Experts Predict That Consumer-Driven Healthcare Will Be the Dominant Force in Health Plans Within the Next Decade

Posted on: Thursday, 1 December 2005, 09:00 CST

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28848) has announced the addition of New Cost Savings Promise: Emerging Trends Fueling the Growth of Consumer-Driven Health Plans to their offering

Some experts predict that consumer-driven healthcare will be the dominant force in health plans within the next decade. Others say the plans are still in the fledgling stage and will need years to prove their worth.

But, as healthcare costs continue to rapidly spiral upward, employers are scrambling for ways to pare down the price of providing healthcare to their employees. Consumer-driven health plans are seen as vehicles that promise employer savings and employee empowerment at the same time.

"New Cost Savings Promise: Emerging Trends Fueling the Growth of Consumer-Driven Health Plans" gives you an assessment of what the future may hold--the challenges, advantages and disadvantages.

For instance, new Internal Revenue Service guidelines issued in 2002 gave the plans a boost by allowing unused funds in spending accounts to be rolled over into the following year and permitting both medical expenses and premiums to be paid from the accounts. As a result, more employers are starting to consider offering their employees consumer-driven options on their health plan menu.

This 77-page report first looks at the trends that are behind the shift to consumer-driven plans--the unprecedented double-digit HMO increases projected for this year. You'll get the basics of most plans, the pros and cons; for instance, employees may see the new plans as a way to shift costs to them.

The issue affects employers, payers and providers. And, experts generally agree that consumers will have to change their behavior.

New Cost Savings Promise: Emerging Trends Fueling he Growth of Consumer-Driven Health Plans looks at the plan incentives, how some plans provide online and offline advice support to members, and why many consumers don't like the notion of managing their own healthcare.

Discover:

- Why employees may be the key to controlling health benefit costs

- Key issues for employers to consider

- Factors affecting financial results in a consumer-driven plan

- How consumer-driven plans help reduce costs

- Why consumer-driven plans may not be the cure-all

It's too soon to tell what the future holds, but... New Cost Savings Promise: Emerging Trends Fueling the Growth of Consumer-Driven Health Plans will give you an overview of the basics of the emerging wave of adoption of consumer-driven health benefit plans.

If your organization may be affected in any way by the move to consumer-driven healthcare, order your copy of this new report today!

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c28848

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category