Consumer-directed health insurance products: local-market perspectives.

During the past few years, health plans have focused product development on consumer-driven health plans. This paper examines how these products are faring in twelve Community Tracking Study (CTS) communities. Although there has been a proliferation in the number and variety of consumer-directed plan options available, employers have taken a cautious approach. Given the increased financial stake and decision-making responsibility consumers hold when enrolled in these plans, respondents expressed frustration that the availability of information support has lagged behind the demands placed on consumers.

Employers shift rising health care costs to workers: no long-term solution in sight.

Despite concerns that an economic downturn would prompt employers to rein in rapidly rising health insurance premiums by radically reducing benefits, few have made dramatic benefit changes, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2002-03 site visits to 12 nationally representative communities. Key employer changes focused on increasing patient cost sharing and revising family coverage policies. Few employers adopted innovative health benefit strategies or major design changes. Given employers' lack of confidence in alternative strategies and their unwillingness to restrict workers' choice of providers, employers will likely continue incremental cost-sharing increases in the face of ongoing premium increases.