Employers Recognize Potential Impact of Employee Health Management on Future P...( Financial In...),Health

Financial Incentives Rank High In Developing Better Health Care Consumers

Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWEB) August 2, 2009 -- United Benefit Advisors, LLC (UBA), one of the nation's leading employee benefits advisory organizations reveals survey data sighting cost sharing trends associated with personal health management.

"The majority of employers clearly recognize the potential impact of employee health management programs on future plan costs. More than half of all employers continue to believe that financial incentives should be provided to individuals based on their effort to manage their own chronic conditions," according to William Stafford, Vice President, Member Services for United Benefits Advisors. Over 44% agree that individuals should be pay more if they do not make a reasonable effort to control their chronic conditions. Only 18% believe that no cost differential should result from the employees lack of compliance with appropriate treatments of chronic conditions.
   
Between 15% and 23% of employers currently provide employees with financial incentives to manage their health, use cost-effective providers, or plan to do so next year, said Stafford. Employee incentives to complete health risk appraisals continue to increase notably each year, with incentives for completing health risk appraisals increasing by 130% compared with our 2006 report. Approximately one-third of all employers would like to add such programs in the future.

These and many others results are revealed in the 2009 UBA Employer Benefit Perspectives survey, which delineates employers' positions and opinions on Employee Communications, Personal Health Management and Scope of Benef
'/>"/>