The State of Healthcare Consumerism Report is being completed and will be available by Fall 2015. Below is a sampling of that report.
The State of Healthcare Consumerism
2015 IHC Market Insights Report
I. Introduction
The Institute for Healthcare Consumerism (IHC) is pleased to present the 2015 IHC Market Insights Report entitled “The State of Healthcare Consumerism”. This report offers a detailed view into the many ways insurers, employers, benefit managers, and solution providers are empowering plan members and thereby changing health and healthcare in the United States.
While there are industry and consultant reports detailing account-based plans, there is no single report highlighting “Healthcare Consumerism”. “The State of Healthcare Consumerism” attempts to fill that void by consolidating facts and information from a multitude of credible sources. In the tables presented we include historical information (when available) to show the growth and impact of this megatrend called “Healthcare Consumerism.”
II. Healthcare Consumerism Defined
The IHC adheres to a broad definition of Healthcare Consumerism. Account based plans, sometimes referred to as Consumer Direct Healthcare Plans (CDHPs), are an important part of Healthcare Consumerism. IHC considers CDHP’s to be a subset of Healthcare Consumerism. There are many other ways that plans can include consumerism. A plan qualifies as “Healthcare Consumerism” if it meets the essentials of the following definition:
Healthcare Consumerism is about transforming a health benefit plan into one that puts economic purchasing power—and decision-making—in the hands of participants. It’s about supplying the information and decision support tools individuals need, along with financial incentives, rewards, and other benefits that encourage personal involvement in altering health and healthcare purchasing behaviors.
Healthcare Consumerism promises a comprehensive approach for engaging plan members in making healthy choices. Almost any core plan design can add critical features of healthcare consumerism. There are five (5) major aspects of Healthcare Consumerism:
1. Savings Options – the Promise of Demand Control
2. Health Management – the Promise of Wellness
3. Condition Management – the Promise of Health
4. Health Literacy – the Promise of Information & Transparency
5. Incentives – the Promise of Shared Savings
In addition, Healthcare Consumerism’s maturity can be viewed as the evolution of five (5) levels or generations of emphasis and focus:
1. Plan Design
2. Behavior Change
3. Work & Productivity
4. Personalized Health
5. Community Supported Health