Insurers vigorously defend CDHPs

In recent weeks, various studies citing stats on CDHPs have hit the press, some favorable and others criticizing the plans' impact on patients. But few have had the impact of the CDHP study just released by the Employee Benefits Research Institute and the Commonwealth Fund. The EBRI/CF study, which seems to have touched a nerve, found that many of the consumers insured by CDHPs can't afford to fund the health savings accounts which make these high-deductible plans work. This, of course, didn't please the health insurance industry, which is rolling out these plans across the country.

Karen Ignani, CEO of health insurance trade group American's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), was quick to issue a statement noting that CDHPs are expanding coverage options for small businesses, and that 82 percent of workers enrolled in HSA-eligible plans are in plans offering preventative benefits prior to any deductible. Individual health plans are weighing in, too. Karen Atwood, senior vice president for national accounts with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, denied that the plans were set up to discourage access to care, an inference easy to draw from EBRI/CF's findings. "The goal of consumer-driven health is to get people to think about how they access services, not to discourage access," said Atwood, whose organization offers CDHP plans.

AHIP is now lobbying for tweaks in the laws governing HSAs, including rules allowing them to cover preventive and maintenance drugs before the deductible is met, allowing HSA dollars to buy Medigap policies, and allowing family policies to have lower individual deductibles.

Find out more about the CDHP debate:
- check out AHIP's defense of CDHPs
- read the AHIP HSA reform release
- read the CDHP statement from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois

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