Health Costs Fall as Employers Prepare for Health Reform
Posted at 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 15, 2012
The Hill looks at a new report from Mercer finding that “U.S. employers are making special efforts to hold down healthcare costs as they prepare to comply with the Affordable Care Act.”
“Mercer, the human resources consulting firm, found that employers’ healthcare costs grew 4.1 percentage points in 2012 — the smallest increase in 15 years. The firm attributed the trend to the rise in high-deductible, consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) and wellness programs… The cost of coverage in a CDHP is 20 percent lower on average than coverage in a preferred provider organization…many employers are turning to those plans as they prepare to widen coverage under the Affordable Care Act.”
