Risk & Business Magazine Spectrum Insurance Magazine - Spring 2019 | Page 30

HEALTH PLANS
BY: TERRY MAGNUSON
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ADVISOR
SPECTRUM INSURANCE
I
Consumer Driven Health Plans
And The Current State Of
Health Care Consumerism
n the broadest sense, health care
consumerism has always been about
empowering health care consumers to
select more cost-effective, appropriate
care. Specifically, consumer-driven
health plans (CDHPs) aim to achieve the
following goals:
•
Help employees become active
participants in their health care
decision-making rather than
remaining passive.
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•
•
Encourage employees to spend their
health care dollars wisely by seeking
care from providers who are cost-
efficient and provide quality care.
Allow employees to take charge of
their health by informing them of their
conditions and treatment options and
helping them change their behaviors
to eliminate unnecessary health risks.
IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE
ENGAGEMENT
Beyond understanding the cost of health
care, many employees are not engaged in
taking charge of their health. One example
is the growing prevalence of obesity in the
United States. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
more than one-third of adults in the United
States are obese.