Concerns about pricing and education are deterring many employers from offering health savings accounts and high-deductible health plans, according to the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers.
The Washington-based lobbying group surveyed its members in early 2005 and released the results Thursday.
Most respondents said that fewer than half their clients were expressing interest in offering health savings accounts or the complementary high-deductible health plans, the report said. Brokers said employers were not offering accounts because of concerns about the products' complexity and the significant learning curve required of participants.
Another major reason for employers' reluctance was the pricing of plans compared with HMOs or PPOs. About 4% of large companies have started HSA programs so far in 2005, according to the report.
The report covers topics including the shift to consumer-directed health care, the HSA/HRA marketplace, how to evaluate consumer-directed health-care choices, and broad policy concerns about HSAs.
It also includes a six-page summary chart that employers can use to compare key features in the various tax-advantaged health-care spending accounts, including HSAs, health reimbursement arrangements, and flexible spending accounts.
