Healthcare in the U.S. is about to cost more, this according to a survey by Buck Consultants.
The Health Care Reform Readiness Survey of more than 200 professionals in U.S. healthcare organizations indicates that while patients will benefit from reform, employer health plans and hospitals are likely to experience challenges.
Employee benefits
The majority of healthcare industry experts (75%) who responded believe healthcare costs will rise as a result of reform, with 43% indicating they expect a significant increase. To offset increased costs in their own plans, more than 90% of respondents anticipate passing some or all of these additional costs on to their employees through higher employee contributions or reduced coverage.
Some employers (48%) plan to facilitate improvements in employee health by increasing wellness initiatives, and virtually none of the respondents expect to reduce wellness programs.
Many employers remain committed to retaining their employees’ health plans, as 57% of respondents stated they would not consider dropping their coverage; 46% of whom said they felt it would make their company uncompetitive in hiring and retaining their workforce. However, 28% of respondents would consider eliminating health care benefits because of reform.
Organizational changes
The ways in which healthcare organizations plan to adjust to these changes include:
- Assessing IT requirements (82%).
- Structuring quality measures with their physicians (69%).
- Developing an integrated network (60%).
- Developing medical home services (41%).
“Healthcare employers especially should be on the forefront of this changing healthcare delivery market to reinforce new and emerging strategies and manage costs,” said Sheryl Grey, a principal with Buck Consultants. “Implementing plan changes aligned with quality and wellness initiatives, and the use of telemedicine, social media and smart phones allow employers to improve care.”
A clear majority of the organizations surveyed believe the quality of healthcare over the next five years will improve or stay the same, and many are implementing changes to ensure that efficiency is increased and that the overall quality of care improves within their own healthcare system.