The Road Ahead: Under Construction with Increasing Tolls 2010
Hewitt releases the results from its latest health care survey - employers plan to use both a carrot and a stick as a means of motivating employee behaviour change.
| Category |
Work-Life Programs, Policies and Practices: Benefits |
| Details |
Increasing health care costs and the value of workforce health are primary concerns that have taken center stage in response to tightened budgets, an aging workforce and growing rates of chronic disease. Despite these challenges, the vast majority of companies remain committed to providing health care benefits. However, as cost pressures intensify, organizations are seeking new strategies that will produce the best return from their health care investments - both reducing cost and improving the health and productivity of their workforce.
This year's survey collected directional data about cost trends, strategy and design features of employer-provided health care and other benefits.
Key Findings
- employers do not see sustainable relief from increasing costs using traditional methods and are beginning to explore new approaches
- majority of organizations seem more receptive to short-term tactics than a proactive, longer-term strategy to address growing concerns
- 80% of employers plan to make significant investments in long-term solutions aimed at improving the health and productivity of their workforces but survey results indicate that few organizations align their health care tactics, and priorities to their business strategy
- fewer than one-half of employers reported having a formal health care strategic plan in place
- current and future health care plans focus on offering 'competitive benefits in the marketplace'
- 'managing cost' and 'keeping employees healthy' remain employers' top business and workforce issues
- employers will continue to shoulder most of the health care cost burden but, as costs continue to rise, employers are planning to shift some of this cost to employees
- employers plan to use both incentives and/or penalties as a means of motivating employee behaviour change with the potential to improve outcomes and reduce costs
- there is a strong interest from employers in using analytics/measurable data to drive health care strategy and ultimately employee behaviour change
- universal health care coverage was favoured by most employers
- one-half of employers were hopeful that reform would include a combination of an employer and individual coverage mandate
- while employers support legislative efforts, they believe the area most in need of reform - medical malpractice - was not seriously addressed by Congress
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| Author |
Hewitt Associates |
| Publication Date |
June 2010 |
| Source |
www.hewittassociates.com |
| Format |
 PDF |
| Availability |
Download report: The Road Ahead: Under Construction with Increasing Tolls 2010 |
