Kansas Health

Consumer driven health options expand

[Julius A. Karash, "'Terrible trade-off' pits health care against other benefits," The Kansas City Star, 12 January 2005.]

As health care costs continue to escalate, employers are looking for ways to maintain coverage for their employees without going out of business to pay the bills. As Julius Karash points out in this article, consumer driven plans are increasingly seen as the answer to this dilemma:

Major U.S. employers anticipate a 12 percent increase in health-care costs this year, according to a survey of more than 500 companies released this week by the Hewitt Associates international human resources firm. But those companies say they can afford an increase of only 8 percent.

But Jack Bruner, Hewitt's national health-care practice leader, said more companies are moving beyond the more common methods for controlling costs — such as higher premiums for employees — toward more systemic changes such as consumer-driven plans and education and wellness programs.

Some companies are offering consumer-driven health plans to lower health-care costs. Such plans include tax-free health savings accounts, which must be combined with a high-deductible, low-premium insurance plan.

Chris Doyle, a spokesman for American Century Investments, said the company offers its employees a consumer-driven plan known as a personal care account. The company also provides exercise classes, a gym and workout area for employees and on-site screenings for blood pressure problems and skin cancer.

"It has slowed down our year-over-year costs," Doyle said. "Health-care costs have been growing at a double-digit rate for the past several years, so anything we can do to slow those costs down is a good thing."

If you are interested in the move to consumer driven health care, consider attending the upcoming Consumer Driven Health Fair put on by The Medical Society of Johnson & Wyandotte Counties. More information is available at The Flint Hills website: http://www.flinthills.org.

[Greg Scandlen, "Choice is revolutionizing health care," The Wichita Eagle, 28 September 2004.]