Health care costs have continued to skyrocket and every politician, business owner and employee is trying to find ways to cut costs.
The recent Buying Trends Study, released by the National Association of Health Underwriters and ChapterHouse LLC, shows that nearly 90 percent of insurance agents and brokers predict that the health insurance market will look remarkably different within the next five to 10 years. They predict a shift away from traditional plans and a migration to consumer-driven health plans.
With open enrollment season upon us, consumers have a chance to evaluate these consumer-driven plans and decide if these new options might be right for them. Past editions of this study have accurately predicted other health care changes, so these findings carry a great deal of weight among industry leaders.
Consumer-driven health plans, which include health reimbursement accounts and health savings accounts, are high-deductible medical plans that are coupled with a savings account. Employees can use those funds to pay their health care costs.
With lower premiums than traditional health insurance plans, consumer-driven health plans enable consumers...