Consumer-driven health care is quickly becoming one of the dominant health care delivery vehicles in the industry, especially as employers and consumers seek to reduce their costs within an uncertain economy. Enrollment in consumer-driven health plans (CDHP) grew to 8 million lives at the beginning of 2009, according to a report released by America’s Health Insurance Plans—up from 6.1 million in 2008. In fact, enrollment in CDHPs has surpassed enrollment in HMOs, according to a survey conducted by United Benefit Advisors. And these trends are likely to continue through 2010, as employers witness the cost of not offering a CDHP. Another study conducted in the past year by Watson Wyatt Worldwide reported that employers withat least half of their workforce enrolled in a CDHP saw a two-year median cost increase trend of just 3.2%, compared to 6.2% for companies that did not offer a CDHP.
Overcoming Barriers to CDHC
One barrier to the expansion of cDHC has been a sense of confusion on the part of the consumer around how to pay for out-of-pocket medical costs incurred before the deductible has been met. In order for a cinsumer to maximize the benefits of a conumer-driven plan, the various pieces of the plan (that is, the insurance plan and the health care spending account), must work in tandem with minimal intervention required from the consumer or provider.
Enter the AmeriFlex Convenience Sleeve...
...a new solution from AmeriFlex, one of the nation's largest and most well-respected Third Party Administrators(TPAs) and a leader in the development of technology solutions aimed at facilitating CDHC delivery.
The AmeriFlex Convenience Sleeve allows for the automatic and instantaneous payment of provider and pharmacy claims from an employee's employee-sponsor health care payment account (FSA, HRA or HSA).
Employers who offer the Sleeve to their employees will benefit from enhanced security and higher levels of accuracy. when it comes to claim payments. Through the Sleeve's sophisticated back-end claims data management capabilities, no ineligible transactions can be run through the system. And despite the underlying complexity that makes the Sleeve work, it remains straightforward and simple to use for the consumer!
Using Innovation to Drive CDHC
For years, AmeriFlex has brought to market solutions aimed at simplifying CDHC for the consumer, reducing costs and administrative burden for the employer, and helping brokers deliver comprehensive benefit design to the clients they serve. The AmeriFlex Convenience Sleeve is the next piece of the puzzle that will:
Reduce costs
Enhance employee protection
Minimize complexity
Reduce administrative burden
And help remove some of the guesswork from CDHC