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Its a high-deductible plan or nothing for BCBS of Florida employees
Even given the difficult choices employers face, most offer their employees at least a few choices of health coverage from which to choose. Health plans, in turn, pitch employers on what may be dozens of options, from HMO to PPO to point-of-service, high- and low-deductible, and more.
However, one large employer and health plan--Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida--has embarked on what can only be regarded as a precedent-setting example: Starting next year, the plan will provide its own employees with access to only one high-deductible plan linked to a health savings account. Executives with BCBS of Florida told the Miami Herald that the insurer has been moving in this direction for four years, based on their conviction that employees who must manage most minor care financially will take better care of themselves and spend more wisely.
BCBS of Florida is offering employees one HSA with a $1,500 deductible and 10 percent co-insurance, and another with a $2,500 deductible and 20 percent co-insurance. To make the new policy more employee-friendly, employees get a $1,000 contribution to the HSA if they fill out a risk assessment survey looking at their health status and vulnerabilities. (It will provide only a $500 match if employees don't wish to take the assessment.)
Unlike some extremely strict consumer-directed health plans, BCBS of Florida's plans do cover some screenings completely, such as mammograms and colonoscopies, and only asks employees to pay the co-insurance for some preventive care.
To learn more about BCBS of FL's plans:
- read this Miami Herald piece
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Comments
By Anonymous | Posted 1:22pm | October 26, 2009
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida is also going to do away with small group plans in 2010. They are changing their products, raising prices to force small groups to encourage their employees to get individual policies, which of course, are even costlier. The only groups that will be able to choose everything from HSA, PPO, HMO etc. will be the large and Major accounts. Small groups are too costly to administer in Blues view. Management has also decided to stop contributing to the employees' vested pension plan effective 2011 in the hopes that employees will quit. John Wagner of Blue Cross stating in John Droschner's 10/22/09 article that only about 4 employee complained about the forced HSA health insurance coverage starting 2010 which is a lie. There was such a hugh uproar about these issues that management had to meet with units individually the same day of the announcement because they feared a massive walk out by it's employees. The only thing that is important to Blue Cross is profits and ensuring their employees do not burden them with costs. Management at Blue Cross has created a very hostile and stressful work environment the past few years that a record number of employees have to take blood pressure/cholosterol/anti-depressants just to come into work. With the small group business being forced out, they will only need a handful of employees to run their membership and billing department in Jacksonville. Small groups are not yet aware of their future plans for them and they don't want to tell them they are an administrative cost drain on their profits.
By Matt McKelvey | Posted 1:55pm | October 26, 2009
This is great to see! I am so happy that they are eating their own cooking. It will encourage employers to move in this direction.
Why not partially self fund as an employer? elect the high deductible health plan, hire a TPA to administer claims and purchase aggregate wrap stop loss insurance?
Maximize your cost savings potential!
For more info on HDHPs, HSAs, Aggregate Wrap and TPAs visit: http://www.highdeductiblehealthplanstoday.com
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