BCBSIL offering more web insurance management tools

Companies that are best at controlling healthcare costs are more likely than their poorer performing counterparts to offer multifaceted Internet tools that help employees model healthcare options, a study by Watson Wyatt and the National Business Group on Health has found.A majority (58%) of the 585 companies surveyed provide Internet resources that allow employees to compare healthcare insurance options side by side, but companies that are best at controlling costs offer additional Web tools. They are 38% more likely to provide quality comparison tools and 36% more likely to provide tools to model the tax impact of healthcare 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% more likely to do so."The Web can be a great help in effectively delivering healthcare information to employees and is especially important for companies making significant plan design changes," said John Berkowitz, of www.medequote.com. "Companies adopting a consumerism approach to healthcare are finding that employees need more than financial incentives to become better healthcare consumers - they need information as well. Tools that allow employees to consider many facets of their healthcare can make a significant difference in the healthcare options employees choose."Although many companies are providing Web resources that help employees model their healthcare 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 healthcare," Berkowitz said. "Employers can harness the Internet to help provide this data and encourage employees to use healthcare providers with the best treatment outcomes." Companies like BCBSIL - Blue Cross Blue Shiled of Illinois who are making strides to bringing these tools to the internet should be congratulated.

www.medequote.com