Preferred provider organization plans may have suffered a loss of market share between 2006 and 2007.
Researchers at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, Calif., and the Health Research and Educational Trust, Washington, have published data supporting that conclusion in a summary of results from a survey of about 3,100 public and private employers with 3 or more employees.
This is the second year in which the researchers have included "high-deductible health plan with a savings option" as a coverage category.
Plans that incorporate health savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements or other personal health accounts now seem to be covering about 5% of all U.S. workers with private employer-sponsored health coverage, up from 4% in 2006, the Kaiser researchers report.
The percentage of workers enrolled in health maintenance organization plans crept up to 21%, from 20%, and the percentage enrolled in PPO plans fell to 57%, from 60%.
PPOs' share of group health enrollment peaked at 61% in 2006.
The total cost of health benefits increased 6.1%, down from an increase of 7.7% in 2006.
