Some employers and employees may be shying away from health plans that incorporate health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements.
Researchers at a unit of Medco Health Solutions Inc., Franklin Lakes, N.J., and PNC Financial Services Group Inc., Pittsburgh, are reporting evidence of resistance to HSAs and HRAs in summaries of results from two separate survey efforts.
The Medco researchers commissioned a survey of 200 public and private plan sponsors with 1,000 to 15,000 employees.
Although 24% of the participating employers said they already have health account plans, only 11% of the employers that do not have health account programs said they intend to offer the programs within the next 3 years, the Medco researchers report.
About 30% of the participants said the health account programs might increase costs, by discouraging patients from getting needed care, the researchers report.
Meanwhile, 82% of the participants said adding wellness or disease management programs is either important to critically important to controlling health care costs.