Americans’ confidence in the health care system is waning, with more individuals concerned about provider choice, the ability to get needed treatments, and affordability, according to the 2004 Health Confidence Survey, released by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) in conjunction with Mathew Greenwald & Associates. More than two in ten (22%) of those surveyed ranked concern about health care as the most critical issue facing America today, even with terrorism/national security and ahead of the economy, the war, education, the budget deficit, and taxes.
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With enrollment in consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) growing, evidence is surfacing that CDHPs can, indeed, encourage member engagement and active health care decision making, while reducing health care costs. Data released by vendors of CDHP products shows substantial utilization of preventive care services, high generic substitution rates for prescription drugs, and lower health plan cost increases.
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Private-sector health care spending during the first half of 2004 increased at a rate of 7.5%, with hospital price increases at 7.7%, according to an analysis from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and the Center for Studying Health System Change. As has been the case for most recent reporting periods, the trend for hospital outpatient costs, at 11.4%, outpaced spending growth for all other types of health care services. Price increases—not utilization trends—accounted for much of the hospital spending growth.
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Voluntary Benefits Suit Employee Interests and Employer Needs
The voluntary benefits market is growing, and for good reason. Voluntary benefits—offered through the workplace but paid for fully by employees—enable an employer to make a wide array of supplemental benefits available to employees, at little or no cost to the company. Voluntary benefits products are so attractive that, according to one study, more than six in ten employers now offer at least one type of voluntary benefit.
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