San Francisco Business Times Profiles New Blue Cross ‘Consumer-Driven’ Health Plan
The San Francisco Business Times last week profiled Power HealthFund PPO, a new "consumer-driven" health plan that Blue Cross of California will begin to offer this month to California employers with 500 or more employees. Under the plan, employers will place a set amount of funds into an account for employees, who can use the funds to cover the cost of health services provided through a high-deductible preferred provider organization. After employees meet the deductible, the plan will cover 100% of health services, and unused funds in the account will roll over to the next year. Although Blue Cross hopes that the consumer-driven plan will reduce costs as employees become more aware of the price of health services, the Business Times reports that "there is no evidence" plans such as Power HealthFund PPO reduce costs for employers (Walker, San Francisco Business Times, 10/11).
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