New survey reveals employees are more active in managing their health after enrolling in a health savings account.
By Travis Klavohn, Director, Consumer Health Solutions, BenefitWallet, A Xerox Solution
Employees who contribute to health savings accounts (HSAs) generally become more engaged in managing their health after enrolling, according to a survey conducted by Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company.
For example, 51 percent of respondents set aside more money for potential medical costs than before they had HSAs. Twenty-nine percent have more discussions with their doctors about the cost of care, and 13 percent more actively manage their chronic disease.
In fact, respondents indicated greater engagement with each of 11 health management activities measured. Remarkably, these results are consistent across our three surveys conducted over a five-year period.
The survey, which polled more than 23,000 members of BenefitWallet, identifies behaviors, opinions and demographics of individuals who own HSAs. Other findings:
- 90 percent of HSA members obtain medical coverage through their employer.
- 75 percent of respondents indicated their employers contribute to HSAs.
HSA members are responsible for a greater portion of their health costs, so they expect tools to help them make informed, rational decisions. When ranking important HSA product features, 44 percent of respondents rank the ability to view claims on the HSA site as most important. Second-most important is the ability to pay medical claims on the HSA member portal (35 percent).
HSA members are making wiser health care decisions. They are evaluating costs more closely before receiving care, shopping for lower priced drugs and choosing less costly services. They attribute their changed behaviors to owning an HSA.
The BenefitWallet: 2013 Member Survey Report is the third bi-annual survey report on HSA members. It was conducted online by Buck Consultants from a sampling of BenefitWallet members. Over 23,000 responded to the survey. This report is available at no cost at the link below:
http://query.buckconsultants.com/benefitwallet-2013-member-survey.
