Responses to the Kaiser Foundation/HRET report on slowing growth of insurance premiums and adoption of CDHPs ranges from cautious optimism to strong warnings for the future:
Our community has reinvented cost-containment strategies and is deploying a new generation of tools and techniques to stretch health care dollars and mitigate the burden of rising medical costs. Health insurance plans' tiered prescription drug formularies, cutting-edge disease management and prevention programs, and important investments in health information technology are helping consumers get the care they need while taking unnecessary costs out of the system. While clear progress is being made, much more needs to be done.--Karen Ignagni, President and CEO, America's Health Insurance Plans We're in a period of continued moderation...but nobody should be celebrating too wildly.--Drew Altman, President and CEO, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation“Health care premiums aren't rising as quickly,” San Francisco Chronicle, Sept 27. 2006 It's worth observing that this survey comes out on the heels of the census report showing that we added 1.3 million people to the ranks of the uninsured in 2005…. The long-term trend is very clear, and it's the slow unraveling of coverage in the employment-based system, especially among smaller employers."--Drew Altman, President and CEO, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation"Health-care premiums up 7.7%," Associated Press, Sept. 27 Pointing out that only four percent of Americans have so far signed up for high-deductible insurance plans linked to health savings accounts (the Bush Administration's and market enthusiasts "cure" for skyrocketing health care costs), Altman repeatedly said that talk about "consumer-driven health care is way out in front of the action in the marketplace." Based on my own experience, I think that's going to change -- and fast. I predict uptake of these plans, especially among the well-off and relatively healthy upper middle class will take off in the next few years. Moreover, many low- and moderate-income people will be forced into these plans. Look at Wal-Mart's announcement yesterday that it would start offering a high-deductible plan with just an $11 monthly premium come January. What does it cover? Not the first $1,000 of routine doctor costs, not the first $1,000 of hospital bills, and not the first $300 of pharmacy costs. Some plan, especially for folks on tight budgets. What will be this week, honey? Take the kids for their shots or groceries?--Merrill Goozner Director, Integrity in Science Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest."Insurance Scams," Huffington Post, Sept. 28 About 8,500,000 workers were offered a choice of an HDHP/SO and another form of coverage, and only 1,620,000 chose HDHP/SO, while some 1,080,000 were mandated to enroll in HDHP/SO. In has been acceptable to mandate that Medicaid patients must enroll in managed care plans. Now it appears that employers can eliminate choice of plans and mandate enrollment in HDHP/SO coverage. Is it not surprising that some patient advocates worry that traditional Medicare will be eliminated and Medicare recipients will be given the choice of Medicare Advantage HMO-like plans or HDHP/SO plans?--Bradford Kirkman-Liff, Professor of Health Policy and Biotechnology, W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University“Enrollment Choice for High-Deductible Health Plans with Savings Options,” letter to Health Affairs
Our community has reinvented cost-containment strategies and is deploying a new generation of tools and techniques to stretch health care dollars and mitigate the burden of rising medical costs. Health insurance plans' tiered prescription drug formularies, cutting-edge disease management and prevention programs, and important investments in health information technology are helping consumers get the care they need while taking unnecessary costs out of the system. While clear progress is being made, much more needs to be done.--Karen Ignagni, President and CEO, America's Health Insurance Plans
We're in a period of continued moderation...but nobody should be celebrating too wildly.--Drew Altman, President and CEO, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation“Health care premiums aren't rising as quickly,” San Francisco Chronicle, Sept 27. 2006
It's worth observing that this survey comes out on the heels of the census report showing that we added 1.3 million people to the ranks of the uninsured in 2005…. The long-term trend is very clear, and it's the slow unraveling of coverage in the employment-based system, especially among smaller employers."--Drew Altman, President and CEO, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation"Health-care premiums up 7.7%," Associated Press, Sept. 27
Pointing out that only four percent of Americans have so far signed up for high-deductible insurance plans linked to health savings accounts (the Bush Administration's and market enthusiasts "cure" for skyrocketing health care costs), Altman repeatedly said that talk about "consumer-driven health care is way out in front of the action in the marketplace." Based on my own experience, I think that's going to change -- and fast. I predict uptake of these plans, especially among the well-off and relatively healthy upper middle class will take off in the next few years. Moreover, many low- and moderate-income people will be forced into these plans. Look at Wal-Mart's announcement yesterday that it would start offering a high-deductible plan with just an $11 monthly premium come January. What does it cover? Not the first $1,000 of routine doctor costs, not the first $1,000 of hospital bills, and not the first $300 of pharmacy costs. Some plan, especially for folks on tight budgets. What will be this week, honey? Take the kids for their shots or groceries?--Merrill Goozner Director, Integrity in Science Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest."Insurance Scams," Huffington Post, Sept. 28
About 8,500,000 workers were offered a choice of an HDHP/SO and another form of coverage, and only 1,620,000 chose HDHP/SO, while some 1,080,000 were mandated to enroll in HDHP/SO. In has been acceptable to mandate that Medicaid patients must enroll in managed care plans. Now it appears that employers can eliminate choice of plans and mandate enrollment in HDHP/SO coverage. Is it not surprising that some patient advocates worry that traditional Medicare will be eliminated and Medicare recipients will be given the choice of Medicare Advantage HMO-like plans or HDHP/SO plans?--Bradford Kirkman-Liff, Professor of Health Policy and Biotechnology, W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University“Enrollment Choice for High-Deductible Health Plans with Savings Options,” letter to Health Affairs
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