Study finally gives clear picture on why health plan cuts costs
Chances are you’ve seen plenty of stats on how this increasingly popular health plan can save your firm a lot of money. Well now there’s some good info on why that is.
Apples to apples comparison
A recent study by Health Care Service Corp. (HCSC) analyzed the healthcare behavior and spending habits of individuals who switched from traditional health plans (HMOs or PPOs) to high-deductible consumer-driven health plans (CDHP) – both before and after the change.
The results show that CDHPs are doing just what they’re set up to do: Making employers more responsible and cost-conscious consumers of their healthcare benefits.
After switching to a CDHP, the study found, on average, individuals:
- were 4% more likely to take advantage of preventive services
- cut healthcare use by an aggregate of more than 12%
- were 10% more likely to use generics to fill their prescriptions
- spent 24% money on inpatient hospital services
- spent 8% less on outpatient services
- had a 12% drop in ER visits, and
- cut combined medical and pharmacy spending by an aggregate of 11%.
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