title: Increased Patient Cost-Sharing, Weak US Economy, and Poor Health Habits: Implications for Employers and Insurers.
abstract: Many healthcare stakeholders, including insurers and employers, agree that growth in healthcare costs is inevitable. But the current trend toward further cost-shifting to employees and other health plan members is unsustainable. In 2008, the Zitter Group conducted a large national study on the relationship between insurers and employers, to understand how these 2 healthcare stakeholders interact in the creation of health benefit design. The survey results were previously summarized and discussed in the February/March 2009 issue of this journal. The present article aims to assess the implications of those results in the context of the growing tendency to increase patient cost-sharing, a weak US economy, and poor health habits. Increasing cost-sharing is a blunt instrument: although it may reduce utilization of frivolous services, it may also result in individuals forgoing medically necessary care. Increases in deductibles will lead to an overall decrease in optimal care-seeking behavior as families juggle healthcare costs with a weak economy and stagnating wages.
authors.affiliation: Director of Business Content, The Zitter Group, Millburn, NJ.
authors.forename: Melinda C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Haren
authors.affiliation: Senior Analyst, The Zitter Group, Millburn, NJ.
authors.forename: Kirk
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.affiliation: Founder and President, Managed Pharmacy Consultants, Lake Worth, FL.
authors.forename: Arthur F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Shinn