Employers Shifting Health Costs to Employee
I, like all healthcare consumer, shop for health insurance. In my case, I look at Medicare Advantage Plan. 
Regardless what type of health insurance plans you are shopping for, they are very expensive. Let me know your experiences and frustrations.
Get prepared for healthcare sticker shock. Open enrollment season is beginning and employers are rolling out insurance plans that will shift more out of pocket cost to the healthcare consumer. The out of pocket increases will be in the form of higher deductibles. As employers try to find ways to reduce cost, Telemedicine is starting to surface as an option. This means using Skype like systems for doctors to consult with patients. NOTE…Consumer Navigator has a section explaining Telemedicine. A recent survey by National Business Group on Health, indicating that the expected increase in premiums will be 6%. The premiums for Accountable Care Act Plans are expected to increase at least 10%. The following are survey results from National Business Group on Health and Kaiser Family Foundation.
- 51% of the workers will have a deductible more than $1,000, a first
- Single coverage plans have an average deductible of $1,478 up 49% since 2011
- More employers will offer health saving accounts…some will match employee contributions
- In 2016, 29% of covered workers were enrolled in a high deductible plan that was paired with a health saving account, compared to 20% in 2014. In 2017, 84% of the employer will offer a high deductible with 35% offering only the high deductible plan
The trend to shift costs to the healthcare consumer is continuing at a rapid place. It is becoming more apparent the healthcare consumer must start planning and managing their healthcare. To that end, the Healthcare Consumer Navigator Center has develop a planning tool to guide consumers through the planning process. Go to our home page to find the link.