Properly educating workers about their health coverage is critical for consumer-driven health plans (CDHPs) to be successful, according to research compiled by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI).
The report says: “should health education initiatives prove ineffective, the ‘consumer-driven health movement’ could well be doomed, especially if it relies upon fully educated health consumers taking self-initiated actions.” The goal of this relatively new plan design is to lower the rising costs of healthcare to the employer while workers, who are now more responsible for their health coverage, adopt healthier lifestyle behaviours.
However, EBRI’s research report shows that consumers have almost no input in the policymaking process and therefore, their social and financial values are not being considered. What’s more, consumers lack the education to fully understand their plan. “They have not been taught to speak up to health care providers, to be partners in their own health coverage and care,” states the report. Nor do they know what to expect in connection with the finances of health benefits or healthcare.”
The report points out that the CDHP design is reminiscent of the “top down” model of managed care that was formed in the ‘80s to reduce coverage costs. Although this approach was initially effective, it failed over time because it wasn’t sensitive to the values of the consumers. EBRI’s report says unless benefit planners start “listening to consumers,” the new CDHPs may suffer a similar fate.
For the report on EBRI’s website, click here.
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