Employers are increasingly eyeing consumer-driven healthcare plans to stem the surging costs of healthcare premiums, the Houston Chronicle's L.M. Sixel
writes. Under these programs, employees are allotted a set amount that they can use toward medical care throughout the year.For a Limited Time receive a
FREE HR Report "Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management." This comprehensive special report will give you the information you need to know about these current HR challenges and how to most effectively manage them in your workplace.
Download NowProponents of the plans say they reduce costs and give employees control over
when and how to spend money on medical care. The theory is, if employees see
the true cost of medical care, they will make better choices about care, a human
resource consultant tells Sixel.
Once the employee reaches his or her cap, the worker pays for the cost of medical
care until it reaches a level that kicks in traditional coverage.
Consumer advocates say the costs could dissuade employees and their families
from seeking needed medical treatment, Sixel reports.
Sixel notes that questions still remain about the new plans, but because employers
are facing double-digit increases in the costs of traditional healthcare insurance,
more firms could adopt the consumer-driven plans.
The columnist notes that the number of employees under these plans is small
but continues to grow. One expert says there are about 400,00 employees under
these types of plans, and the number is expected to hit 1 million by next year.
Links