Internet Tools Can Encourage Appropriate Health Care Decisions, Watson Wyatt SaysWASHINGTON, May 25, 2006 – Companies that are best at controlling health care costs are more likely than their poorer performing counterparts to offer multifaceted Internet tools that help employees model health care options, a study by Watson Wyatt and the National Business Group on Health has found.
A majority (58 percent) of the 585 companies surveyed provide Internet resources that allow employees to compare health care insurance options side by side, but companies that are best at controlling costs offer additional Web tools. They are 38 percent more likely to provide quality comparison tools and 36 percent more likely to provide tools to model the tax impact of health care decisions, such as signing up for a flexible spending account. In addition, while only a small number of companies offer Internet resources for provider pricing, those best at controlling costs are 108 percent more likely to do so.
Internet resources offered |
Percentage of companies offering |
Percentage by which best performers are more likely to offer |
Side-by-side comparison of insurance options |
58% |
16% |
Tax impact modeling |
34% |
36% |
Provider quality comparison |
26% |
38% |
Provider pricing comparison |
15% |
108% |
“The Web can be a great help in effectively delivering health care information to employees and is especially important for companies making significant plan design changes,” said Jeri Stepman, Watson Wyatt’s national leader for health and welfare administration. “Companies adopting a consumerism approach to health care are finding that employees need more than financial incentives to become better health care consumers — they need information as well. Tools that allow employees to consider many facets of their health care can make a significant difference in the health care options employees choose.”
Although many companies are providing Web resources that help employees model their health care options, most are not yet offering the information on provider quality and pricing that employees need to make more cost-effective choices.
“Providing information on the cost-effectiveness of providers is key to directing employees to lower-cost, higher-quality health care,” Stepman said. “Employers can harness the Internet to help provide this data and encourage employees to use health care providers with the best treatment outcomes.”
Information on BenefitConnect™, Watson Wyatt’s Web-based benefits administration system, is available at www.watsonwyatt.com/benefitconnect.
About Watson Wyatt Worldwide
Watson Wyatt (NYSE: WW) is a leading global human capital and financial management consulting firm. The firm specializes in employee benefits, human capital strategies, technology solutions, investment consulting, and insurance and financial services. The firm has 6,000 associates in 30 countries and is located on the Web at www.watsonwyatt.com.
Contact
Ed Emerman,
609/452-5967, eemerman@eaglepr.com
Emily Rieger, 703/258-7634, emily.rieger@watsonwyatt.com
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