2008 Health Care Cost Survey Reveals High-Performers Gain Advantage

Double-digit health care cost increases may have tapered off, but some organizations continue to struggle with high premiums, low employee engagement and mixed employee response to account-based health plans. Other organizations, however, are gaining competitive advantage by managing their programs aggressively — with a focus on the causes that drive ongoing cost increases.

Check out what high-performing companies are doing to get employee buy-in and improve their bottom line:

• 72% of high-performers (compared to 33% of low-performers) say their company plays a significant role in employee health management. High-performers clearly recognize critical steps in managing costs — identifying health risks in the employee population, building programs to address those risks, and reaching out to engage employees in managing their health.

• 84% of high-performing companies use measurement to manage their health care programs, while only 34% of low-performing companies do the same. By evaluating program effectiveness — rigorously and regularly — and using the results to build performance improvement plans — you can efficiently achieve optimal results without major disruptions or frequent program overhauls.

• 73% of high-performing companies leverage support from managers and supervisors to drive health care changes, versus 50% of low-performing companies. Support from the managers who directly influence employee attitudes and behavior every day can go a long way toward engaging employees in change.  Moreover, senior leadership involvement, along with a sense that the organization cares about employee well-being, can have a powerful positive impact that goes well beyond the success of your benefit programs.

Download the 2008 Towers Perrin Health Care Cost Survey to learn more about what leading organizations are doing to create cost-efficient health care plans — and to change the way your employees make decisions about their health care.