Health

When workers are offered more than one health plan, who switches their plans, and does it lead to adverse selection, causing healthy workers to leave certain health plans saddled with only high-cost sick workers? Evidence suggests it’s mostly younger workers or higher-income workers without family coverage who switch?which does indeed raise the risk of adverse selection, according to a new analysis by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Mar 23, 2017 24 pages

Under President Trump, how, exactly, is the Affordable Care Act (ACA) likely to change, and how will this fundamental policy shift affect the U.S. health care and health insurance systems? The short answer, as the new administration was taking shape: Nobody knows. But whether it’s a “repeal and replace,” as many congressional Republicans have advocated ever since the law was enacted in 2010, or “repeal and delay” or “partial repeal” or “repair” (as some are now suggesting) or just “repeal,” it seems certain that change is on the way. This article summarizes discussion of these issues by a panel of experts at EBRI’s 79th policy forum held in Washington last December, and attended by more than a hundred people. Press release. EBRI Notes Feb 23, 2017 12 pages

Most discussion about retirement preparation revolves around national averages, but a lot could actually depend on where you live in retirement. A new study by EBRI finds large variations in spending by older households across the country. Press release.

 

EBRI Notes Feb 21, 2017 12 pages

Projected savings targets needed to cover health care in retirement went up last year after several years of decline, but are still generally lower than they were five years ago, according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Notes Jan 31, 2017 12 pages

So-called “narrow provider networks,” which limit covered health providers in health plans, do not appear to be crossing over rapidly from the Affordable Care Act’s health exchanges into employment-based health plans, according to a new analysis by EBRI and Mark A. Hall, J.D., Wake Forest University, with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Changes in Health Care Financing & Organization (HCFO) Initiative. EBRI Issue Brief Dec 14, 2016 20 pages

Balances in health savings accounts (HSAs) grew by more than a third in 2015, according to the most recent results from the EBRI HSA Database. EBRI Issue Brief Nov 29, 2016 28 pages

Well over one-half of all workers say they are not satisfied with the U.S. health care system as a whole, but are considerably more positive about their own health plan, according to new research by EBRI. Press release. EBRI Notes Oct 19, 2016 12 pages

Employment-based health insurance is the primary source of health coverage in the United States, and as health plans continue to evolve, health plan sponsors continue to look for ways to get their workers more directly involved in their own health care. To highlight new work on how employers are trying to increase individuals’ involvement in health—and why it’s important—EBRI devoted part of its 78th policy forum in May to the topic of “Innovations in Employee Engagement in Health,” which is summarized in this article. Press release. EBRI Notes Aug 31, 2016 12 pages

Low-income workers who switch to high-deductible health savings accounts (HSAs) plans are more likely than their higher-paid colleagues to avoid certain types of health care, according to new research by EBRI. EBRI Issue Brief Aug 30, 2016 24 pages

In the wake of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), fewer small employers are offering health benefits to their workers, but big employers are holding steady, according to new findings by EBRI. Press release. EBRI Notes Jul 28, 2016 8 pages