WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent studies on consumer directed
health plans (CDHPs), including a new study released today by Commonwealth
Fund and the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), do not reflect all
of the available data on the value of CDHPs in the health care marketplace.
Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans
(AHIP), issued the following statement:
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040830/AHIPLOGO )
"Consumer directed health plans are providing consumers -- some of whom
were previously uninsured -- with an affordable health care coverage
option. Small businesses who did not previously offer coverage and
uninsured consumers in the individual market now have affordable health
care coverage thanks to the availability of high deductible plans combined
with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). An AHIP census of the entire HSA
marketplace earlier this year found that 33 percent of small firms offering
a HSA-eligible plan did not previously offer health insurance coverage to
their workers and 37 percent of those purchasing coverage in the individual
market were previously uninsured.
"Moreover, the CDHP marketplace is fast evolving to meet the needs of
consumers. According to the annual KFF/HRET Employer Health Benefit Survey
2006, 82 percent of workers enrolled in HSA-eligible plans are in a plan
that offers preventive benefits prior to any deductible. And authors of
other research sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund in the July/August 2006
issue of Health Affairs concluded that HSA-eligible plans will not raise
out-of-pocket costs for most users, and may, in fact, result in
significantly lower out-of- pocket costs for many consumers with serious
medical conditions as a direct result of the out-of-pocket maximums in the
legislation that led to their creation in 2003.
"HSA and HRA products are a part of the suite of products now being
made available to millions of Americans, allowing consumers to choose the
product that best meets their health care coverage needs. Providing
consumers with better information about the cost and quality of health care
services will help them make cost-effective and quality conscious health
care choices, which, in the long-term, will lead to improved health care
quality and lower costs for all.
"We look forward to working with legislators and regulators at the
federal and state level to ensure consumers have access to affordable, high
quality health care coverage options."
America's Health Insurance Plans -- Providing Health Benefits
to More Than 200 Million Americans
SOURCE America's Health Insurance Plans
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Related links:
http://www.ahip.org/
Photo Notes:http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040830/AHIPLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org PRN Photo Desk
photodesk@prnewswire.com
CONTACT:
Mohit Ghose of America's Health Insurance
Plans, +1-202-778-8494
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