Firms tweak benefit plans in District of Columbia and Baltimore area

"The 220-page study is based on a survey of 265 companies and government agencies in the area." It was conducted between February and April. "This year, 23 percent of the employers said they raised co-pays for their workers, compared with 16.4 percent last year. Twenty percent said they raised deductibles this year, compared with 12.8 percent last year. If the economy doesn't improve, experts say, the trend will accelerate next year." "For now, more employers are attempting to save money by switching to high-deductible 'consumer-driven health plans' -- this year, 18 percent of employers said they were offering them, compared with 15 percent last year -- and controlling prescription costs by requiring workers to buy generics or to obtain permission before purchasing certain drugs." Employers also are promoting healthy living -- "offering flu shots, free medical screenings, stress-management courses, and nutrition and weight-loss programs." The Post notes: "Unlike companies in other parts of the country that have been aggressively laying off workers to save money, Washington-area employers "are scaling back on benefits to preserve jobs," said George Lane, chair of the benefits survey committee of the Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area, which conducted the survey" (Haynes, 6/23). This article is republished with kind permission from our friends at The Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery of in-depth coverage of health policy developments, debates and discussions. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for Kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Copyright 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

(Author: 23. June 2009 23:40)

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