CURRENT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS NATIONAL TRENDS
HOW PEOPLE GET THEIR HEALTHCARE
- Covered by employer-sponsored health insurance 49%
- Covered by Medicaid 19%
- Covered by Medicare 16%
- Covered by other government funded plans 2%
- Covered by individual plans through Healthcare.gov (60% receive subsidies) 5%
- Uninsured 9%
WAYS TO CONTROL COSTS
The trend is this: Everyone must become an engaged and informed consumer of cost and care. Everyone must take responsibility for improving the way they take care of themselves and employers must endeavor to communicate to their employees that they have programs in place to help take care of their health and save money.
Focusing on the costs of care and lifestyle choices that are within the control of the employee should be seriously considered. More than 30% of the expense of a total plan can be controlled. It’s incumbent upon benefit participants and their families to be knowledgeable consumers and actively engage in the programs that will have a large impact on cost and health.
For the first time in U.S history, our workforce employs four distinct generations of employees, which creates an enormous array of age-related illnesses that impact employer’s health plan costs. New statistics released by the Kaiser Family Foundation show that costs for new, sophisticated technology, treatments and biopharmaceuticals increase costs by 30% but significant results are achieved by only 20% of the patients. 80% of the top five diseases and expensive treatments are directly linked to lifestyle habits such as overeating, lack of exercise, smoking, and stress. These behaviors can be treated through your health plans Wellness Program and Employee Assistance Program. Second opinions for expensive treatments and outpatient surgeries are another way to reduce unnecessary surgeries or costly care. And finally, the use of a TeleDoc Program can avoid costly office visits for easily treatable conditions.