Health Savings Account Blog

"Consumer-driven health savings account plans are getting a lot of airing today, because we think there is a need to increase the understanding of these products. They're not just high-deductible plans, they're not just cost shifting," said Lisa M. Guertin, president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire.

"There needs to be a whole new way of getting people engaged in decisions about their health care and the cost of their health care," she said.

The luncheon session at the Capitol Center for the Arts included skits that demonstrated that the nation's largest Blue Cross-Blue Shield group has plans for people at every stage of their lives.

The new products include Lumenos Health Reimbursement Account, Lumenos Health Savings Account and Lumenos Health Incentive Account.

The plans pair medical savings accounts with financial incentives to promote wellness.

"These plans... are designed to engage people in healthy behaviors for those who are in the low risk or medium risk categories and then for those patients who are already in the high risk category and who aren't seeing their physicians regularly or aren't taking their medications properly, to really give them a health coach," said Dr. Elizabeth Malko, Anthem's medical director in New Hampshire.

Lumenos features online tools, including health assessment, linkage to a personal health coach, searchable provider directory, prescription tool, enhanced surgical decision-making and managing healthcare dollars.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield also previewed its 360 Degree Health offering, which aims to significantly decrease the cost of the most at-risk members by 2010 and increase effectiveness of health and wellness programs for the remaining 80 percent. Under the program members have incentives for taking health assessments, round-the-clock access to a nurse line and disease management options.

The company also unveiled new supplemental Medicare programs for 2007. Nearly 200,000 New Hampshire residencies are covered by Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled.

Also, pending Department of Insurance approval, Anthem is planning to introduce on Jan. 1 three new affordable health plans for individuals targeted to 20-somethings under the Tonik nameplate.

A previous health savings account-based plan, Anthem by Design, drew participation by only about 4 percent of Anthem's New Hampshire insureds, Guertin said.

"This is really a completely new animal, and we think many of the reasons purchasers had been hesitant to move to these type of plans are addressed in this offering," she said.

Anthem is quoting consumer-driven health plans for large employers now, with small groups beginning Nov. 1 and individuals Nov. 15.

Learn more about Health Savings Accounts at: http://www.health--savings--accounts.com