Expect to pay more for health insurance through work

Insurance

I can expect during open enrollment in health insurance coverage my employer’s perspective, what changes this fall?

National Business Group on Health has just announced the results of its annual survey of large enterprises, and for the next year’s health insurance plan, and the trend may continue for several 2012: Large most people will have to pay higher premiums plus coverage of each doctor’s visit and a larger share of program costs. At the same time, more and more employers will offer high-deductible health plans with health savings accounts, and encourage employees to choose the option that donated the HSA. Employers also invested in health programs to help control long-term medical costs.

Surveyed employers estimate their health benefit costs will average 7.2% in 2012 to enhance (in 2011, an increase of 7.4% above), they are asking employees to pick up a larger share of spending. Under normal circumstances, the employer

And premiums are not the only added cost of 80% of the premiums, employees pay an additional 20%, but the premium percentage exceeds the employer’s half of the planned increase in employee contribution in 2012

– 39% of employers plan to strengthen the network maximum deductible employee network in the network deductible, 23% of companies plan to increase 22% and outside the enterprise unplanned must pay their own.

Employers also hope to be able to control the cost of providing incentives for consumers to pay more attention to their health care costs: Ernst & Young continues thorium from fixed dollar co-payment (for example, you might pay for each doctor’s office visit $ 20) to switch to coinsurance – the percentage of the cost of each office visit and the program you pay. “This is a more subtle way to increase paid by consumers,” Helen starling, president and CEO of the National Business Group on Health, said. And encourage employees to seek lower-cost care, which will save money for employers and employees. “If you do not use co-insurance, consumers do not pay attention to costs,” she said. “If consumers do not have economic benefits, then control health-care costs in this country is no hope.”

Employers also offer incentives for employees enrolled in consumer-driven health plans. These are high-deductible health INSUR have a tax-advantaged savings pairing ANCE Account policy – whether it is health savings account (which allows people to put aside pre-tax money, they can use tax-free medical expenses, even if they leave the employer) or health reimbursement arrangements (which offer similar tax incentives, but not portable unless the employee retirement). Employer of about 73 percent of companies plan to provide staff in 2012, at least one consumer-driven health plan options, up from 61% this year.

Most employers paired with a health savings account these high-deductible plans, rather than health reimbursement arrangements. About 17% of employers will completely switch to a consumer-driven health plans do not provide any low-deductible health insurance options. Health insurance policy, you must have a deduc at least $ 1200 of personal insurance, family planning, or $ 2,400, tible qualified to be paired with HSA. (For more information on HSA, see the answer to health savings accounts.)

Employers additional incentives for employees contribute a fixed amount of HSA exams to help pay a higher deductible to then these policies, the matching contributions, or the employees extra money health plans who registered the account. Only 20% of respondents are not contributing to employees of the employer HSA.

Employer health plan is another way of long-term hope to control health care costs: 58% of companies plan to offer discounts or other cash reward employees who participate in healthy lifestyle programs, the average incentive of $ 383. Few employers use a penalty way to encourage participation, it got people to sign up is a way employer a few years ago – now, only 12% of employees do not participate in charge who charge.