According to a study released by the WellPoint Institute of Health Care Knowledge, consumer-directed health plans encourage preventive care and yield cost savings for employers.
The study, "Employers and Consumers Recognize Value of Consumer-Directed Health Plans," indicates that a majority of Americans receive health insurance through their employer, and as employers face increasing cost pressures, CDHP products are important tools for managing care and costs.
Researchers say employers who offered employees a CDHP in 2007 saw a slight decrease in their overall costs, while costs for other plan types continued to increase.
"As this study shows, CDHPs are helping employers manage healthcare costs by promoting healthier behaviors and encouraging informed consumer decision- making," said Sam Nussbaum, Chief Medical Officer of WellPoint, Inc. "Additionally, when given a choice, many families are choosing these types of health benefits over more traditional benefits. These products are designed to provide the coverage and care consumers are looking for while helping maintain healthy lifestyles."
Consumers enrolled in CDHPs used more preventive care services than those enrolled in non-CDHPs, according to reports. The study was based on 7,977 employer groups in Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin.
CDHPs encourage members to make more cost-effective decisions by increasing consumer engagement and emphasizing the importance of actively managing healthcare costs. While some critics have questioned whether CDHPs would result in a decreased in preventive care, the WellPoint analysis finds that CDHP members actually used preventive services at a higher rate than their non-CDHP counterparts.
Are any of your patients enrolled in CDHPs? Do they use the preventive care options more often than other patients? Send your comments to Associate Editor Chelsey Ledue at chelsey.ledue@medtechpublishing.com.