Thursday, November 23, 2006

Health Care Survey Findings During this open enrollment season, many of the larger analyst firms are releasing new data on the costs of healthcare and the trends that are being seen in the industry. 11:51:42 AM    comment []

Consumer Driven Health Plans Show the Lowest Medical Costs Aon Consulting recently conducted a survey of over 90 health insurers with over 100 million members.  11:51:19 AM    comment []

Wellness Programs Can Improve Small Business Profits, Easier To Install One way that any business, small or large, can help reduce the costs of their healthcare is to create and promote a wellness program for their employees.  These programs can help employees make healthier lifestyle choices, such as about what they eat, getting enough exercise, and reduce other problematic behaviors like smoking or drinking.  11:50:50 AM    comment []

More Banks Now Offering Health Savings Accounts, Along With Additional Benefits The number of banks that offer health savings accounts has more than tripled since the end of 2005, the Wall Street Journal reports. Market-research firm Information Strategies found that nearly 1,100 banks now offer HSAs, which allow consumers to set aside money tax-free for medical expenses when combined with a high deductible health insurance plan. According to the Journal, the "abundance of new HSA offerings is triggering competition that is helping to push fees lower and expanding the options for consumers to invest their savings." 11:50:20 AM    comment []

Healthcare Premium Costs Continue To Rise With Smaller Companies Being Hit Harder Employers of all sizes continue to see rising costs for group medical coverage on account renewals, though the increases for the largest accounts tend to be lower than for small and medium accounts, according to the fall Employee Benefits Market Survey by The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers. 11:49:46 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 Information Strategies, Inc.. Last update: 12/8/2006; 4:52:19 PM.