<0> Healthcare Trends InstituteGlynis Gibson, 773.278.7700 </0>
The results of a recent national survey and benchmark study on employee healthcare benefits are now available. The 2013 Healthcare Benefits Trends Benchmark Study report provides insights into the adoption of new healthcare benefits, health exchanges, wellness, and related topics. The research was sponsored by the , an educational platform for employers, consumers, and other healthcare benefits stakeholders.
The survey polled more than 300 human resources (HR) executives, benefit specialists, and other benefit decision-makers across the country to explore the current state of employee healthcare benefits, as well as the expected healthcare benefits outlook in response to sweeping healthcare reform legislation, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This includes the shift to defined contribution health plans, the launch of insurance exchanges, and the implementation of wellness plans. The complete 2013 Healthcare Benefits Trends Benchmark Study can be downloaded at .
“With many of the mandates of the Affordable Care Act set to take effect in 2014, we were interested in how employers of all sizes were preparing,” said Tiffany Wirth, Executive Director, Healthcare Trends Institute. “This study reveals some of the trends in healthcare benefits occurring as a result.”
The study found healthcare reform is prompting employers to look at defined contribution health plans and the use of health insurance exchanges in offering employee healthcare benefits in the future. When asked about their familiarity with Defined Contribution Plans (DCPs), 59.4 percent of respondents indicated they were somewhat-to-very familiar with them. Of those respondents who indicated they were interested in implementing DCPs for the future, the majority, 55.8 percent, were considering implement them in 2015.
When asked about health insurance exchanges, 62.1 percent indicated they were somewhat-to-very-familiar with them, and 55.5 percent were somewhat-to-very-familiar with them.
The Healthcare Trends Institute is an educational platform to help employers, third-party administrators, health plans, brokers, banks, payroll providers, consumers, and other stakeholders keep up with the rapidly changing healthcare benefits industry. It covers a range of topics related to the administration and management of healthcare benefits, including defined contribution, health exchanges, insurance, legislation, and more.
Healthcare Trends Institute programs include an educational web series, an annual awards program, newsletters, training programs, a resource library, a real-time health exchange infographic, and more. To ensure all content and programs achieve the highest level of quality and relevancy, the Institute is guided by an Editorial Advisory Board comprising subject-matter experts that represent diverse aspects and perspectives within the healthcare benefits industry. The Institute is sponsored by , the nation’s largest electronic payment, on-premise, and cloud computing consumer-driven healthcare solution. More information is available at .