From 2012 to 2013, employers' average cost for health plans grew 5 percent. However, employers expect a greater increase for some plan types this year and are using a number of strategies to help manage the rising costs, according to a recent Aon Hewitt report.
Here are five findings from the report.
1. Seventeen percent of employers are increasing health benefit participants' deductibles and/or co-payments this year and 39 percent may increase deductibles and/or co-payments over the next three to five years.
2. While only 3 percent of employers are eliminating coverage for adult dependents with access to other coverage in 2014, 49 percent may eliminate the coverage over the next three to five years.
3. Seven percent of employers are reducing their subsidies for covered dependents across the board this year, and 50 percent of employers may reduce the subsidies they provide over the next three to five years.
4. Ten percent of employers are implementing referenced-based pricing this year to help control costs, and 68 percent plan to adopt the practice over the next three to five years.
5. While only 1 percent of employers are beginning to charge employees per dependent by implementing a "unitized pricing" approach in 2014, 47 percent may begin using this pricing model over the next three to five years.
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