According to the annual poll of employers performed by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust, employers are continuing to cut expenses by having their workers assume greater responsibility for the cost of care. The results of the poll show that the cost of employer health coverage rose 3 percent, increasing the average family plan premium to $16,834.
The results show that the Affordable Care Act had little affect on health care insurance costs for employee plans. In 2013, costs rose 4 percent, meaning that prices are moderating, but not to a statistically significant degree, according to the Wall Street Journal.
"The relatively slow growth in premiums this year is good news for employers and workers, though many workers now pay more when they get sick as deductibles continue to rise and 'skin-in-the-game' insurance gradually becomes the norm," Kaiser CEO Drew Altman told the source.
While high deductibles are intended to temper health care costs by discouraging needless treatments, as American assume greater responsibility for the cost of care, many are finding themselves unprepared for the financial burden that can arise. This can lead to many facilities failing to see reimbursement for the care they provide, resulting in bad debt that can seriously affect a facility's ability to provide quality care.
The poll found that the average deductible for single employees was was $1,217 this year, up 7 percent from last year and 47 percent since 2009.
If your care facility has experienced issues with accounts receivable management as a result of increased insurance premiums, it may require outside assistance to begin seeing returns. Accounts receivable outsourcing can result in a decrease in accounts receivable days, as well as diminish the amount of funds written off as bad debt.
