The nation’s pre-occupation with healthcare premium costs and plan usage has sparked a rising interest in just how individuals purchase and use their policies.
At the same time, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) are growing as a tool of management to reduce their healthcare costs. The end result is that many firms are shifting more and more of the burden to employees.
To determine just how individuals and families are coping with these changing trends, Information Strategies, Inc. (ISI) is conducting a nationwide survey of healthcare insurance purchasing and usage.
The results will be published in a series of online monographs available to families, healthcare providers and others concerned about the healthcare system and its effect on consumers.
“What we are doing is gathering information that families, healthcare providers, insurers and other interested parties can use to better understand the dynamics of this vital economic and public weal sector,” said JoAnn M. Laing, President of ISI.
“Our company founded www.hsafinder.com as a not-for-profit website where individuals, companies and providers can find information about HSAs,” she said.
“With increasing reader demand for comparison between users of Consumer Directed Healthcare products and more traditional coverage,” she added. "this sujrvey became an obviouos next step."
“In our surveys to date, we have surfaced a growing focus by families on reducing both the cost of premiums as well as reining in the rising charges for healthcare,” Laing said.
“This carefully constructed survey is designed to give interested parties independent, unbiased data on costs, usage and behavioral changes,” Laing concluded.
Results are expected in Mid-May 2006.
For more about ISI, go to www.IS-INCORP.com.
