Research Reports

As corporate health care costs continue to increase at an annual rate of 12 percent a year, HR professionals are seeking new, more effective ways to control them. The old standbys, such as increasing co-pays or raising deductibles, are simply no longer adequate.

IOMA’s Research Report, Controlling Health Care Costs: What Employer Strategies and Tactics Work Now, presents new data and original analysis that allows corporate leaders in HR and finance to better compare alternative plans and to negotiate better deals with health care plans and providers.

The report is based on a comprehensive survey of over 300 HR professionals and interviews with dozens of health care consultants, and features findings such as:

• Analyzing cost and utilization data can lower premiums. Companies that did not do analysis had premium increases that were 18% higher than average in 2003.
• Stronger incentives for HR executives and managers lead to lower health care costs. Companies whose managers are evaluated on their ability to control health care costs had premium increases in 2003 that were 17% lower than those who didn't.
• Flat-rate brokers can help keep your costs down. Companies whose insurance brokers are compensated via sales commissions had premium increases over the last two years that were 12% higher than those using flat-rate brokers.

Controlling Health Care Costs: What Employer Strategies and Tactics Work Now also re-examines the use of such standard tactics as increasing co-pays, implementing condition management programs, and running wellness programs.

And it explains the importance of such supporting processes as information gathering and analysis, decision-making, managing vendor relationships, and educating employees.

The analysis is supplemented by interviews with benefits experts and consultants, case studies, and how-to tips in areas such as how to build a robust business case for varying types of cost control initiatives.

Preview this report's Table of Contents, List of Figures, and Executive Summary.