title: Who chooses a consumer-directed health plan?
abstract: Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) hold the promise of reining in health spending by giving consumers a greater stake in health care purchasing, yet little is known about employers' experience with these products. In examining the characteristics of those selecting a CDHP offered by one large employer, we found stronger evidence of selection than has been identified in prior research. Our findings suggest that in the context of plan choice, CDHPs may offer little opportunity to greatly lower employers' cost burden, and they highlight concerns about the potential for risk segmentation and the value of conferring preferential tax treatment to CDHPs.
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. colleen.barry@yale.edu
authors.forename: Colleen L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: Deron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galusha
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Slade
authors.forename: Susan H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Busch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003256:Community Participation; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult