Great-West Healthcare Debuts Magazine

A  company news release said the 40-page premier issue focuses on Consumer-Driven Health Care plans – plans that encourage employees to make more informed decisions about their care based on quality and cost.  The magazine explains the factors that employers must weigh carefully in considering a consumer-driven benefits strategy and looks at a wide range of plan features and emerging issues related to those programs.

Other feature stories in the first issue, according to the news release, include:

• “Look Before You Leap for Greatest Success” – a look at the considerations employers should weigh in evaluating a move to consumer-driven plans.
• “What Consumers Know and What They Don’t Know” – results of Great-West Healthcare’s exclusive consumer-attitudes survey by Harris Interactive.
• “Will Your Employees Save for Out-Of-Pocket Costs?” – consumer savings are at a 70-year low. Will employees in CDHC plans put money aside for medical expenses?
• “Evolutionary Product Design Offers Savings” – a study confirms the cost savings of a consumer-driven PPO that offers an alternative for employers that are not ready to introduce high-deductible plans.
• “Focus Health and Disease Management Initiatives on the Right Employees” – disease management and wellness programs will become even more important in consumer-driven health plans, especially when the employer factors in the impact on absenteeism and presenteeism.