Public employers modifying health benefits - Washington Business Journal:

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The survey, conducted by Brookfield-based , showed public employers nationwide are modifying their employee healthj care benefits to includemore cost-saving The survey found that 72 percent of publiv employers are increasing or considering an increase in theif employees’ deductibles, coinsurance or copays. In addition, 74 percenf of public employers are increasing or consideringg an increase inemployee premiums. When asked why they were consideringhighetr deductibles, 46 percent of public employerws cite the financial crisis.
Almostt the same percent, 45 percent, cite the crisid as the reason why they are thinking about higheremployee “These findings are surprising, although cost-sharingt measures have been common in the corporatwe world for quite some time, publivc employers have traditionally not modified their health care plans in this Sally Natchek, senior directort of research at the foundatiohn said in a statement. “The fact that the majorituy of public employers are now increasing copays and premiums illustrates the dual effec rising health care costs and the financiak crisis are having ontheir plans.
” Other cost-saving programe that public employers are instituting include adding a consumer-driveb health plan, shifting to a self-funded plan and introduciny spousal surcharges. Nearly three-fourths of publix plan sponsors are placing more emphasis on controllingb prescriptiondrug costs. The majority of publif employers are expanding participant education about drug optionsand costs, increasing copayments and/or coinsurancr for drugs and mandating the use of generic the survey found.