Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/276151
[ 41 ] MARCH 2014 | www.hrotoday.com Having employees take more control of their health and wellness benefits is on the agenda for many HR executives in 2014. So HRO Today asked two experts to offer their insight into engaging employees in consumer-driven healthcare. Audrey Tillman, Aflac's executive vice president of corporate services, and Alan Spiro, chief medical officer for Accolade, address the state of health benefits and offer some best practices to get your workforce behind the driver's wheel of their health and healthcare management. Empower Your Employees By Audrey Boone Tillman The American workforce is gaining more control over its healthcare insurance. Consumer-driven health plans (CDHP) place costs and care in the hands of employees, which has already proven to drive down overall healthcare costs according to some reports. Unfortunately, not all workers feel empowered by this shift. The confusion around CDHPs can be costly—for both workers and their employers. What is consumer-driven healthcare? As its name implies, a consumer-driven healthcare model gives employees the primary decision-making role regarding the healthcare they receive. There are several health insurance plans that are commonly part of a consumer-driven model, including health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement accounts (HRAs). These are generally offered alongside a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) to help protect policyholders from catastrophic medical expenses. As the remaining healthcare legislation is implemented through 2018, including the tax on expensive health plans, more employers are likely to adopt consumer-driven health plans or shift completely to this model. However, the 2013 Aflac WorkForces Report reveals a wide gap in employee readiness to take on the shift toward consumer-driven healthcare and defined contribution Empower and Equip Employees Best practices to engage your workforce in their healthcare benefits. The Benefits Package By Audrey Boone Tillman and Alan Spiro