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Article: HRA-linked plans cut costs for some employers; Change in employee behavior 'at the heart' of controlling health care costs.(Benefits Management)(Health risk assessment)
- Article from:
- Business Insurance
- Article date:
- February 7, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: JERRY GEISEL
For Logan Aluminum Inc., health care cost increases had reached the breaking point in 2003.
Since 1999, its costs had been rising an average of 12% a year, including an eye-popping increase of 22% in 2002.
Over the long term, cost hikes of that magnitude were not sustainable, said Howard Leach, head of human resources for the Russellville, Ky.-based manufacturer of aluminum sheet products.
Rather than shift some of the cost increases to employees through such means as big premium hikes, Logan Aluminum took an entirely new approach to providing health care to its 950 employees and their dependents.
That ...